


The Maelstrom Effect

by Harliqueen



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto)-centric, Haruno Sakura-centric, Hatake Kakashi is a Bad Teacher, Kubikiribōchō - Freeform, Mist!Sakura, She's gonna be a world traveler, Strong Haruno Sakura, We're giving my queen the respect she deserves, Will add more people and tags as the story progresses, dark but also fun i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:35:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 28,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26982250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Harliqueen/pseuds/Harliqueen
Summary: Begins after the Sound and Sand Invasion.Recently orphaned Sakura realizes the bridge between her teammates and captain is too strong to bear. With nothing keeping her in Konoha, she leaves them behind without looking back.In other words, Sakura is the one to leave the village instead of Sasuke, and the rest of the world gets to deal with the aftermath.
Comments: 423
Kudos: 1543
Collections: Naruto bests





	1. Helpless

Sakura sat and waited.

For what? She did not know.

It'd been a couple of days since the invasion of Sound and Sand and when she returned to her childhood home, nothing but the broken and beaten bodies of her forever genin parents greeted her. There'd been no mercy from either nation to her people, and the thought of Naruto reconciling with the Sand Siblings left her with an ashy taste in her mouth. She used to envy the blondes penitent for extroverted laced forgiveness, but somethings didn't come easy in her eyes, and this was one of them.

The once bright and homey streets that used to be littered with lanterns year-round was nothing but dust and decay. The cobblestone streets were upturned and small imprints of scales littered the buildings still standing after the summons attack. Her neighbors fared no better and a scarce amount of people on her street remained.

She'd taken to sleeping in the park, shooed away from the hospital as the beds were overrun with ninja more important and more skilled than her. The orphanages wouldn't accept her due to her legal status and the lapse in missions left her savings barrel scraped bare. The desk was overrun and frantic and no one had time for a lost genin.

Sakura assumed that her Jounin commander would've been informed of her recent misfortune, but when the second day came and went with no sign of Kakashi-sensei, she'd given up hope. She thought about turning to others from the Rookie Nine, but was met with hostility from Ino and indifference from the rest before she could get an official word in. She mourned the loss of the one female friend she'd had as a child and for the first time realized that hindsight was twenty-twenty.

Her teammates were nowhere to be found, which was expected. She didn't know where Naruto lived, presumably near the Flower District on the southern side of the village. It's where most orphans under government assistance went to live. She wouldn't even consider turning to Sasuke for help. The last she'd seen of him was when he brushed her aside when she carried him to the hospital after he passed out not too long after Gaara admitted defeat. Back then she'd been so proud of how long she lasted, but not the victory seemed fake and hollow.

She gnawed at her lip and hunched even more so in the limbs of the tree she'd taken as shelter, the bark of which scraping the exposed neck and shoulders left uncovered by her plain tank top. It was the largest in the park on this side of the village, away from most shinobi and somehow still intact despite the chaos. Beneath her, civilians walked with practiced ease, all trying to pick up some sense of normalcy after the invasion.

She envied their ignorance and trust in the government. The world seemed so grey to her and the lack of sleep and itching hunger was getting to her mood. While some were still fearful and the gossiping burned her ears to listen to, they fared better than she did and she wished she were like them.

Inner whispered to her in the deepest recesses of her mind, calling for vengeance and blood, but the logical part of her knew that it would be no use.

She stared at her hands and traced the minute cracks in flesh and scars from fruitless training sessions that covered the soft, pale palms. The muscles on her arm had gone soft with disuse. The month between stages two and three of the Chuunin Exams weren't spent training. She vaguely remembered nightly walks and days spent fretting over the fate of her teammates. Not once did it cross her mind to seek out additional tutoring.

Nothing she'd learned in the less than six months after graduation had helped her in the end. Even then, she didn't know exactly what she learned. She tried to come up with things other than the academy three. Tree walking had come as easily as breathing to her, but other than that, she didn't know what else was in the realm of her abilities.

Sakura tucked her hands close to her stomach and brought her knees to her chest, resting her bony chin on the flesh and curled even closer into herself. Inner played back the memories of the few training sessions she'd been apart of in between missions that had gone wrong and the Chunnin Exams they never should've been a part of. Very rarely had she'd been taken aside and actually taught something.

"That can't be right," she murmured, closing her eyes and focusing on remembering past events in an attempt to hide the grueling hunger pains that itched closer into her soul. The fury she felt watching the colors dance behind her eyelids was a worthy distraction from her troubles.

 _"When am I ever wrong?"_ Inner whispered back, gleeful and vicious as always. While Sakura couldn't see her, her presence was unwavering and strong.

"It's been months, how could I have no noticed he never taught us anything?" Sakura asked herself, opening her eyes and staring at the dark leaves that shrouded her bright coloring from the world.

 _"Even better, you should be asking yourself what he taught the others instead of you. He gave Sasuke his precious Chidori so he could defeat Gaara. He set up a tutor for Naruto in the Chuunin Exams and you didn't even get a note on their whereabouts. He left you behind and expected you to be okay with it."_ Inner replied, wiping away the memories with a flourish.

Sakura unconsciously wiped away the stubborn tear that leaked out of her eye, a tell to her subconscious's feelings of frustration and regret. She picked at the edges of the worn cotton tank top, unfitting for a shinobi hiding in the elements. Her closet and belongings had been destroyed in the same instance as her parents.

While she'd been off chasing a tailed beast, they'd been wiped away without a second thought. She regretted not pushing them to attend the Chuunin Exams, maybe they would've been safe in the stands with the others rather than out in the open facing against summons as tall as mountains.

She'd pilfered the tank top and soft capri pants from one of the relief centers that sprung up across the civilian district. Her red qipao kimono hadn't survived the rest of the invasion and the sand from being under Gaara's hold had torn its silk structure to pieces. Her sandals and waist pack were the only belongings left and she cherished them with what little appreciation she had left in her.

She was a genin without a home and very little to her name. Offhandedly she knew that once the government was up and running once more, the insurances and plans put in place would take care of her. Despite her parents lower status, the house would eventually be rebuilt in the same place it was but the rooms would be barren and the hallways filled with ghosts.

She swallowed around the ball that had been building in her throat and tucked even closer into herself, this time burying her face fully into her knees. Inner cooed and shushed her quiet sobs and eventually, the stress overtook her and she fell into a fitful sleep against the tree, the bustle and park noises a mocking lullaby in the dark.

\-- [X] --

The next few days were as hopeless as the last. She'd been tasked to help carpenters and construction men clear the debris in her section of the village. The action was bittersweet as it gave her enough money to purchase new clothes but didn't do much to distract her woes and mourning. She'd been nothing more than a grunt, lifting planks of wood and carrying the larger debris to the designated waste centers on the outskirts of the village.

She hadn't seen any of her fellow genin in the mess, but as clan heads, she doubted they'd have been picked for this type of work.

By the sixth day, Inner had started to mock her moods relentlessly, worsening the already foul emotions into something nefarious and bitter. For once, civilians didn't greet her with happy smiles and soft encouragements, instead gave her dark looks and a wide berth as they shopped in the slowly re-building marketplaces.

The money she'd received wasn't enough to build her life back to where it was, but the act of shopping left her in a warmer spirit. The clothes she purchased were darker and thicker than anything she'd owned in her life. The most affordable rack of clothing, and the most readily available, looked like Anbu cast-offs and hid her already skinny figure from the world.

The dark contrasted beautifully with her pale skin and short pink hair. She'd turned around in the mirror in the shop over and over again when she'd first put it on. The high neck, sleeveless turtleneck was tucked into tight, black pants lined with pockets on the sides of her thighs. The utility belt that held them together gave her more pockets than she knew what to do with. The telltale Uzu storage seals were an added bonus and led her to question the shop keeper for the price.

The retired Kunoichi had waved off her concerns and smiled a bitter smile backed by years of hardship and schadenfreude. "I've seen this village broken and rebuilt more times than I care to ever witness. It's not the first time and it won't be the last. These are leftovers from the last war and it's high time they're put to good use. Usually, the younger generations go for my more flashy arrays of clothes, so these are often overlooked, hence the price."

Sakura had smiled and nodded, grateful, and willing to not look a gifted horse in the mouth. She'd added a pair of calf-high boots meant for avoiding snakes in the high plains of grass near the less foresty areas of the Fire Nation. They were marked down for the scratches around the toes and tops, but it was nothing she cared about.

In the past, she'd rush towards the luxurious fabrics and telltale red that clashed horribly with her pink hair. She'd choose the prettiest dress to accentuate the little curves she did have, hoping to catch the attention of a certain Uchiha in the hopes that he'd pay some attention to her. Now she reveled in the anonymity of the dark fabric against the muted tones of the village and forest surroundings.

The thick and tactile fabric had improved her mood in leaps and bounds. The edges of grief still stung at the back of her mind, but not even Inner could deny the comfort of being compressed into shinobi fabric once more.

It wasn't until she was snacking on street yakitori with the meager monetary leftovers that the fragile peace was interrupted. It'd been nearly a full week since the invasion, and a day since the Sandaime's funeral that she'd refused to attend. The thought of being around so many mourning faces, grieving over someone she'd barely given a second thought to aside from mission briefings, wasn't high on her list of priorities.

The Will of Fire within her was nothing more than a spark shadowed by shadows and howling winds of fury. Not for the first time did she wonder how she ever followed orders with such blind admiration and acceptance. Never mind the missions that seemed reeked of glorified chores and babysitting; laying her life on the line for a country that waved her aside was something she wasn't quite sure she wanted to do anymore.

The repeated actions of scooping debris and lifting planks were a blessing in disguise as even some of the more disgruntled civilians refused to attend. It was here she witnessed the darker layers of the human psyche and how easily non-Shinobi were swept under the rug when men try to play God.

"Pakkun?" she greeted, surprised at the small pug that poofed into existence next to her on the roof of one of the few buildings still intact. Her memory supplied to her that it used to be some sort of bank, but the vaults had long been emptied. It was an easy hiding place, tucked away near the markets and away from the majority of the foot traffic, but close enough to keep an eye on the rebuilding progress.

The soft, brindled pug sniffed at her yakitori stick and munched on the chicken without a second thought. It was only through feminine restraint that she didn't punt the canine across the street. Her stomach growled at the bite lost to the dog and she bit out her next words, "What are you doing here?"

The dog coughed and hacked when it bit off more than it could chew, but stayed as regal as a pug could as he barked off the orders from Kakashi-sensei. "You weren't at the funeral yesterday and I've come to collect you for a team meeting."

The pug tried to take another bite of her meal and she yanked it out of the way, pressing closer to the crux of the roof away from him. "When?"

Pakkun grumbled and huffed but didn't retaliate. "Right now at the bridge. You'd better hurry," He swiped a tawny paw at her in a poor attempt to beg.

Sakura didn't hesitate to shove the rest of the chicken into her mouth, savoring the teriyaki that coated her tongue. It did little to dissuade her overall hunger, but it was more than enough to motivate her to get this meeting over and done with. 

If Kakashi wanted her there then he should've fetched her himself. 

The newfound resentment and anger towards her jounin leader wasn't misplaced and was welcomed by Inner with open arms. The pug summons was more than enough of a reminder of how powerful Kakashi-sensei was and how little he did to prepare her for her career.

Time and time again she was left upset and disappointed with her status in the village and where she stood on her team. Maybe it was the summons used as a fetching tool or the possibility that Kakashi-sensei knew when and where she'd been over the past week, but the thought of being around them was more grueling than she cared to admit.

She jumped down off the roof and wiped away the residual smoke of the summons popping out of existence. Sakura took the long route, mumbling under her breath and avoiding the more crowded and bustling streets with practiced ease. Occasionally ninja would jump on the buildings overhead and she'd be struck again with how little she knew and how helpless she felt.

The browns and greens of the village seemed to dull even more as she followed the river to the bright red bridge where her team lay waiting for her. The last few steps were the heaviest as they all stared at her with a mix of distaste and apathy. Naruto was the most enthused, but even she could tell his impatience had tainted his spirit.

She lifted her hand and waved in greeting, hoping the smile that spread across her face as a convincing one. She'd bathed in a river the day prior so the sweat and grime wasn't as noticeable as it had been, but her skin still twinged in tightness. Her chopped and miscut hair was tucked into a low pony with small strands framing her face. The cut job she did had yet to grow into itself and she resisted the urge to feel ashamed about it.

"Hello, everyone. I'm sorry for the tardiness," she said, bowing slightly. She took her position by Naruto as he was closest and the blonde immediately sprung into action, previous mood against her forgotten. He bounced and fluttered around her, pent up excitement springing lose.

The other two members of their team watched the blonde overcrowd the pinkette who questioned her relentlessly on where she'd been and why she was late.

Sakura coughed into her hand sheepishly and backed away a bit, overwhelmed by the amount of human contact. She ran a shaky hand through her oily pink strands and motioned for him to calm down.

"I'm alright Naruto, thank you for asking. I've just been pre-occupied with the civilian section of the village. I'm helping the carpenters rebuild the marketplace on the West side," she said, hoping it was enough to satisfy the blonde.

It didn't scratch the surface of the obnoxious pre-teen, unfortunately. "You've been given a mission? Why weren't we notified? I've been with Pervy-sage for the past few days getting ready and I didn't know we could take missions," he said, whining and begging towards Kakashi-sensei. 

Sakura scrunched her nose at the loud-mouthed blonde, wondering not for the first time how he'd made it this far in life with such a lack of tact and manners. 

Kakashi-sensei interrupted him with a thump on the head with his orange book, "Thank you for the segway, Naruto. Now that you're here Sakura, we can get into official business. With the Sandaime's death and the casualties from the invasion, I'm afraid we're all spread a bit thin. Sasuke and I have a mission on the border Tea and we're leaving in a few hours. I wanted to give you a heads-up so you know not to look for us in the coming month," he said.

Sakura smiled encouragingly, at least she hoped it seemed as much. In reality, bitter anger embedded itself on the back of her tongue and she wondered if she was even thought of by her sensei beforehand.

She had so many questions she wanted to spout, wondering if he knew about her parents and if he just didn't care about her or her wellbeing. She wanted to admit she'd been sleeping in the park for the past week. She wanted to scream and shout and cry at how her teammates were supposed to always be there for her but time and time again she was left behind in the dust. All in all, she wanted the hole in her heart to stop swallowing her soul. 

_"Interesting how the favorite gets a mission out of the village with sensei. How much do you want to bet that there will be nothing for us but meager instructions that will waste our time,"_ Inner hissed. Sakura shushed her internally and tried to focus back on the conversation, her mind frayed and unfocused at the trio.

"Yeah, yeah! And I'm leaving with Pervy-sage to find some lady, he says she's going to be the new Hokage. We just have to bring her back. Some sort of three ninja," Naruto said.

Sasuke stood from the back and didn't include himself in the conversation, arms crossed with a scowl across his smooth face. Sakura wondered how she ever used to look upon him so fondly and wondered how different her future would've been were the circumstances more positive. She wondered how much time she wasted mentally tracing the pointed nose and thin lips, hoping that her affections would be returned.

"Sannin, not three ninja," Kakashi corrected.

"You're going after Tsunade?" Sakura asked incredulously. The older sannin was infamous for her vagabond nature and she didn't envy the blonde who assumed he'd be able to bring her back without cause or care. In her opinion, there were better, more fitting shinobi to take up the mantle of Hokage, not a gambling vagabond with a resentment for her home country. 

_"You can't deny, the appeal of being away from here sounds too good to be true."_

He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled the cheerful smile that she'd come to expect from someone with too much optimism and not enough realism. "That's the one. Some sort of gambler so we're heading Otafuki Gai first, apparently. We leave first thing in the morning. He gave me barely enough time to squeeze in a last bowl of ramen before we're gone for a few weeks," he complained.

Sakura resisted the urge to remind him that it was midday and there was more at stake in the world than sodium boiled noodles and hunger. How many times had she'd seen civilians work to the bone clearing the wreckage of their homes that were crushed during the invasion? Did Naruto even realize how dark and grim the world seemed? Or was it all a game to him? 

Suddenly all three were looking at Sakura and she was struck with the realization that there was nothing in place for her. She looked towards her sensei with hopeful eyes and her blood ran cold with the lone grey eye averted itself from her gaze. He'd pulled his book out as a shield, hiding himself from dull green eyes. 

Inner growled and hissed in the back of her mind, having called his response before the conversation had come to a close. 

Sakura had enough within her to know that asking the question out loud would result in nothing but heartbreak, but she couldn't compel herself not to. She fisted her palms on the looser edge of her pants, fingertips tracing the edge of one of the empty pockets nervously. 

"What about me, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked, hoping the break in her voice would be passed off for something stuck in her throat. Deep down, she begged for her sensei to come through. She hoped he'd pulled a secret for her to unlock, a mentor for her to follow, or a scroll for her to read. She'd take dog sitting his summons over the silent treatment he was giving her. 

Sasuke looked at her down his nose and she flinched with restrained fury and loathing when she spotted it out of the corner of her eye. He was finally paying attention to her and she wanted nothing more than to hide from his gaze. He sneered and scoffed before turning away again, "What part of this conversation wasn't obvious? No one cares what you do," he said.

Naruto sputtered and turned around to attack him, forgetting about whatever story he'd be complaining about while she stared Kakashi-sensei down.

Finally, he put down his book and stepped around the two arguing boys. Kakashi sighed and patted her head but she waved it off after the first hit.

She backed away from her team and hoped that the burning behind her eyes was the lack of sleep and not fruitless tears that would warrant no sympathy from the men assigned to be by her side.

"I understand. I do. Have a good mission, I'll see you all when you get back," she choked out. It was a cowards game to retreat so suddenly, but she was not Inner and she didn't have the gall to complain or fight back this late in the game.

Suddenly the new outfit felt too tight and restricting on her skin and whatever good mood she'd been adopting was wiped away within a fell swoop. The trees and wind mocked her as she turned and hurried away, ignoring Naruto's indignant shout and Sasuke's mocking silence. Kakashi-sensei did nothing to contradict Sasuke and it was clear to see that there wasn't much for her here. At least not now.

\-- [X] --

It wasn't until nightfall that the tears erupted and she found herself staring at her reflection in the river that ran through the park, wondering where it all went wrong. The melancholic attitude was nothing short of poisoning and no matter how many times she wiped them away, more just fell in its place.

Inner tried to shush her tears with words of affirmations, reminding Sakura that she didn't need them.

 _"What have they ever done for us, hmm? They've brought nothing but pain and sorrow since the moment we were assigned to their team. Sasuke brushed us aside like lint on his clothes. Naruto lords over us and forgoes any thought on how we feel. Kakashi doesn't even give us a second glance. It's their loss,"_ Inner hissed, non-corporeal form vibrating in the deep recesses of her brain.

Not for the first time, she wished Inner was a person she could hold on to physically. She was tired of being alone in the world and the late-night chill was starting to get to her.

Taking the bottom edge of her shirt, she used the rough fabric to dry her tears, hoping the texture would be enough to soothe her mind. She coughed out a choked sob and heaved a wet breath, trying to hold back the next round of tears that threatened to fall.

"It's not fair," she murmured to herself, not for the first time.

_"Life isn't fair for people like us. Civilians with no connections. Born and raised to be cannon fodder while the clan kids get all the glory."_

"I just want the pain to stop. I'm tired of crying and feeling so helpless," Sakura replied. She breathed in the crisp Fall air and steadied her breathing.

_"Then, instead of crying in a park, how about we do something about it?"_

"Like what," Sakura bit out, "Who can we turn to that would be willing to help?"

 _"No one in this village that's for sure,"_ Inner said, bitter thick in her voice.

Sakura sat up straight and looked around for eavesdroppers, despite the conversation playing only in her head. Nothing greeted her but the still moon and the gentle breeze that frequented this section of town.

"What are you saying?" she asked.

_"All I'm saying is, can you even think of three things that are keeping us here? Because I can't."_

"It's my home. I was raised here, Okaa-san and Otou-san brought me here because they knew I'd have a better life than in Mist. I have friends, I think."

 _"Friends,"_ Inner scoffed, _"What friends? You haven't hung out with anyone outside of your team in six months. Before that, did anyone give you a second glance in class? No."_

"You're suggesting I desert my village? All because my feelings are hurt?"

_"I'm suggesting leave your village because they don't care about you. What are you truly missing by leaving? Your team has moved on and forgotten about you. Your parents are dead. You're going to die in the genin corpse if you don't do something about it."_

"Be nice," Sakura whimpered out, pulling her knees close to her chest once again, glancing away from the reflective surface.

_"Never. Someone in this body has to be realistic and obviously, you're content to live your life in the shadows of those beneath you."_

"I'm not content. I just want to feel better."

 _"Then leave,"_ Inner hissed out again, the sound echoing and ringing in her mind. Sakura flinched back and moved away from the river until her back hit a rock stationed near the water. It's cold and hard exterior shocked her system and she clung to the grass and shook while Inner raged in her mind.

 _"There is nothing for us here. Let go of your stupid, childish whims and realize that I'm right. You want to get better? You want to feel better? Then let's get the hell out of here,"_ Inner said, repeating it like a mantra in her head.

Sakura grabbed at her cheeks and clawed at the thinning flesh, skin ashy, and worn from the week of stress. She could feel her body waning and her mental state fracturing more than it already was. Inner had been particularly loud since Ino had invaded her mind in the second round and the cost of losing came with a heavy price. Her psyche had not relented in the nearly six weeks since then and the added loss of her parents was too much to bear.

Deep down she knew her Inner was in the right, no matter how crazy or extreme the idea seemed. There wasn't anything for her here. Deep down she hoped that her team would notice her troubles and take care of her, but that seemed to be a fools dream. Sakura always prided herself in being clever and taking the paper ninja aspect to heart, but it seems her brain has done nothing but fail her in the end.

Sakura had entertained the notion of moving to Mist once, especially when her mother would tell her the times before the Bloody Mist era and how much she missed her family. She'd never met that side of the family, or her fathers either if she was being honest. She had no idea of the life beyond the Fire border, whether the family in Iron or in Mist knew or cared for her.

She wouldn't rely on the hope of others like her welcoming them into their lives, but she would grasp onto the hope that a better life was out there waiting for her. She smiled a bittersweet grin as her mind was made up.

_"Now you're seeing things my way. Go, before you change your mind. There's nothing for us to pack and the guards will be changing soon. No one will care about a pink-haired civilian leaving in the dead of night."_

"Civilian?" she asked.

_"Take your headband and bury it in the ground. Missing-nin status will only put a target on our heads from the outside nations. If anyone asks, we're a mercenary for hire. No one will ask too many questions and maybe we'll get a job and learn something."_

Finally, Sakura didn't hesitate to follow her inner voice's commands. It felt good to let the other voice take over, to let someone else decide her fate. She was tired and broken, but her heart felt lighter than it had in a long time. Even if she didn't find a home in Mist, anything was better than what she had here.

\-- [X] -- 


	2. Familiar Faces

**Chapter 2: Familiar Faces**

The lack of a headband made Sakura take to the mercenary world like a fish to water. Maybe it was the hunger or stress as an added motivator, but upon arriving in the first civilian town on the road to Water Country, she didn't hesitate to steal as much as her pockets could fit. The twilight hours helped in her secrecy, and while she wasn't much in the world of ninja, she was still leagues above most civilians in this section of the country.

Coins for the most part were useless and loud, but the food and scrolls and small amount of shinobi supplies were worth their weight in gold. The bills she did pilfer afforded her a stay in the cheapest inn the next town over had to offer. She was smart enough not to stay in the same place she robbed blind.

The water was hot and the bed was warm, which is all that mattered in the end. Sakura slept seventeen hours in one go the second her head hit the thin pillow, body finally relenting after days of restless sleep.

She awoke delirious from sleep and the quiet, pleasured hum of Inner stationing herself in the back of her mind was a welcome tune. For once, the psyche was pleased with her actions and even Sakura couldn't deny the giddy, malicious feeling of being a thief.

It was a wonder how easily her morals went out the window without the influence of her team and the shinobi code lording itself over her. Maybe it was Inner's whispers in her ear that added to it, but when she left that morning, her belly and pockets full, she finally started to have hope.

The weather on the Eastern part of the Fire Country was beginning to show the crisp, unforgiving chills of winter and the closer she got to the border, the happier she was to have stolen a cloak from some unsuspecting civilian tailor. She pulled the thick wool tighter around her and carried on at the snails pace, half enjoying the chance to stretch her legs and half embarrassed that she wasn't well versed in tree hopping.

During the invasion, the trees that they hoped were thick and close together. In this section of the country, the trees were taller and it made them all the more dangerous to jump through. Inner huffed and awoke at this thought, upset at the thought of something so easy to be her downfall this early in the game.

_"It's a tree. What are you scared of?"_

"I'm not scared of the tree, I'm scared of falling from it and killing myself. The nearest branch is over a hundred feet in the air, that's taller than I've ever climbed before," she said, stopping at the base of the tree and looking skyward. The bark was thick and unwavering, the color of which was darker than normal, an added benefit of the moisture blowing westward.

_"Then don't fall. Ninjas do it without thinking, it can't be that complicated. Focus your chakra, you already know how to do that. How much harder can it be?"_

Sakura grumbled underneath her breath but didn't protest, instead she focused her energy on the tree in front. Slowly but surely she stepped up the bark of the tree, wavering a bit when she was halfway to a branch, but stayed determined to reach the top. She laid on the first thick branch when she reached it after a few moments, slightly out of breath but coils not quite strained.

She couldn't help but think back on the first time they learned to tree walk. Another red flag in her life is how little praise she got for her chakra control. Her success was used as a motivator for the boys and Kakashi did nothing to help their rivalry on the right path. She knew that few ninja got it right on the first try and it should've warranted some sort of special attention and not as a petty notion to be brushed aside.

It was the physical part of the act that got to her, not her limited chakra reserves. Sakura pulled herself onto her feet and jumped to the first branch, nearly falling and grappling with all four limbs to stay on tight.

The second branch was easier and only required minor stabilization. By the third, it felt as easy as breathing and the road went by at nearly ten times the speed. Sakura giggled with glee and jumped to each branch with practiced ease, relishing in the comfort of accomplishment. Inner of course wasn't satisfied. Not with the accomplishment but of the fact of being denied such a basic skill.

 _"Imagine the progress lost because of this. We shouldn't be learning to tree hop at such an old age. Genin in Mist can water walk from the second they mold chakra. We were raised in Leaf, we should know this already,"_ Inner said.

"Can we please focus on the positive?" Sakura began, "I managed to do this without anyone's help, I think that warrants some celebration."

Inner grumbled but settled down. She was getting better at quieting the psyche, but no closer to controlling her, not that she thought she could anyway.

The rest of the afternoon was spent tree hopping with Sakura carefully watching over her meager reserves. While the act itself was easy to ration and her chakra control was better than most her age, by the end of the day, she was still sweating and shaking from the effort. Part of this was her weak body still having not adjusted to the amount of effort she was putting on it.

She'd been nearly stagnant and practically malnourished during the week after her parent's death. It'd take more than a few meals to get her back into fighting shape.

The moon was high in the sky and the temperature had dropped to a chilling degree. She afforded herself a small fire in the beginning, but the smoke from the wet branches was too obvious, so after dinner was cooked, she blew it out.

Thankfully the area was ripe with smooth, flat stones. She tossed them on the still-warm branches and used them as heaters under her sleeping bag, a trick taught as a child and one she was happy to remember.

The dark woods were terrifying, but she somehow felt safer sleeping on the ground shrouded in a low-level genjutsu than she did sleeping in a park in the middle of her village, so Sakura made it work as best she could.

\-- [X] --

The next morning brought even more challenges. The weather had taken a turn for the worse and she woke up shivering. It wasn't quite dawn, the sun had yet to peek over the horizon, but the sky was tinged a light blue and it was as good as time as any to start moving.

Sakura did some stretches to get the feeling back in her body, twisting and bending her spine and stretching her tight hamstrings. For once she was thankful for being alone because the groans of pain from such sore muscles were embarrassing.

From her estimates and what she could remember the last time they went down this route, the beach that was across from Wave was only a few miles away. The ride itself to wave was a different story, seeing as this time she didn't have a readily available boat to stay afloat on. There were docks stationed on the beach and she only hoped that she'd be able to snag one that was headed in the same direction as her.

She was a bit of ways away from the Great Naruto Bridge, so she hoped that meant she wouldn't run into any familiar Leaf shinobi and avoid the confusion altogether. 

_"We took to tree walking pretty easy. Maybe water walking will be the same,"_ Inner said, having woken up the same time as her. Sometimes they weren't active together, and while it was comforting to have someone with her during this terrifying time, Sakura did relish in the small moments of peace where her thoughts and actions were her own.

She wondered what her team was up to and if they were thinking of her.

 _"Not likely,"_ Inner huffed.

Sakura shushed her psyche as she continued to move through the trees.

She was so exhausted the night before that whatever contemplation she'd normally do before bed was severely interrupted. Now, alone with her thoughts bouncing through the trees, it felt like a welcoming distraction since she was flying by the seam of her pants. She didn't know her fool plan when she got to Wave, but she hoped it would be enough to get her through the border, especially without a known country affiliation hanging over her head.

The thought of her team not noticing her disappearance wasn't as unwarranted or crushing as she thought. It was almost freeing, not having anyone come looking for her. She knew she should be upset, even borderline hysterical, but the realization that they don't care for her felt like an enormous weight off her shoulders.

For months she'd been looking at their backs, unable to catch up or live up to their standards. No matter what she did, it wasn't good enough. She'd walked onto the team a disappointment and instead of doing the right thing and helping her, they brushed her off for their own selfish ideals.

Even if she hadn't been kind to Naruto or receptive to Sasuke's lack of feelings, it wasn't anything that warranted the way they handled their sides of things. Kakashi should've known better as well. She was a twelve-year-old girl, with a half civilian background. Her parent's existence in the genin corps doing carrier missions and minor village errands meant that she didn't have the same upbringing as her peers.

She was a kid struggling to swim amongst future clan heads spoon-fed shinobi techniques from the moment they could walk. Their after school activities included continuous tutoring. Hers involved cooking her own meals and wondering how she'd ever catch up to those around her. Even if she had the wherewithal to train on her own, she wouldn't have known where to begin.

Even now, she wasn't quite sure what to fix. Realistically, she'd have to work from the ground up, change everything about her fighting and learning style, and what it meant to be a ninja. Inner could easily list everything that she needed to change about herself, mindset, and appearance included.

Sakura hoped these next few months were welcoming, despite the dark past of Mist. The closer she got to the sea, the better she felt. She hadn't recognized it upon her first visitation to Wave, especially due to the stress of taking on a mission none of them were prepared for. The salt in the air and the chilling breeze running through her cropped hair was a blissful feeling.

When she finally arrived at the beach line she spent several minutes with her eyes closed, breathing in the air as deep as she could. Her lungs were filled with chilling salt and every time she exhaled the strain would make her cough out a weak huff. Despite this, however, calm washed over her.

"Are you going to stand around all day breathing like an idiot?" a voice to her left asked.

Sakura blushed and looked over, backing away a bit at the unfamiliar man staring at her. He wasn't intimidating at first glance, but she knew not to judge a book by its cover. When she focused on sensing him, she could tell his chakra was deep like the ocean and felt like raging waters. Her own probably felt a little more than a civilians to him; combined with her pink hair, her unassuming stature was nothing to write home about. 

She tucked a loose strand behind her ear and waved, despite herself. She couldn't beat out the niceties ingrained to her by her parents and it would surely be her downfall one day.

The man walked closer but respected her need for distance, stopping just out of the range of intimate conversation.

_"I didn't realize it was a crime to enjoy the scenery."_

"It's a completely different country with its own customs. We're not in the nice village anymore, we have to be careful," Sakura whispered back.

 _"Careful or not, it's rude to interrupt someone's internal monologue,"_ Inner replied back, rightfully wary of the stranger.

Sakura struggled to focus on the man with her cautious inner laying out various escape plans and ways to survive the conversation.

"Ohayo, Shinobi-san," she said, unsure of what else to say in the awkward moment. She resisted the urge to shuffle her feet, instead choosing to stand with her back straight but her body relaxed. Her clothes and cloak screamed ninja, a choice she was close to regretting, even if it did afford her certain liberties when traveling. Her lack of headband would no doubt bring suspicion from the wrong individual and she hoped he wasn't the sort to jump to conclusions.

"Ohayo," he said, voice filled with mirth. "I'm sorry for interrupting your moment, but the boat will arrive soon and I doubt they'll take kindly to strange pink children."

"I'm not strange, nor a child," Sakura bit back. She winced internally at the snappy response, but relaxed when the shinobi barked a fisherman's laugh. It was all thunder and sea, echoing and floating back against the crashing waves.

He was tall, and not bad to look at. It was not the smooth beauty she'd come to know from the Uchiha or Hyuuga, nor was it the roguish beauty that some of the wilder Inuzuka were known to have. He was all thick muscle and covered with wide, rough-looking scars. His arms were exposed from the thick turtleneck he wore. Their outfits were almost reflections of each other, were it not for the grey-ish tones he took to wearing as opposed to her earthly ones.

Sakura supposed it was the product of the environment. Their camouflage and available resources were vastly different than Konoha's. Mist was one of the poorer nations and couldn't afford the richer more opaque dyes common on the mainland. Kumo was known for its tactile fabrics and it was easier to import through Frost than it was to cross the Kaizoku Sea.

"Ouch. Such a feisty kitten. Careful now, you might hurt my feelings if you play too much," he said. The edges of his teeth poked out between thin lips as he talked and she got distracted by the sharp rows where flat edges normally lay. She couldn't help but trace her teeth with her tongue, wondering if such cosmetic changes were possible or if it was hereditary.

"I'm sorry, but I was told not to talk to strangers."

"Hey now, I wouldn't consider us strangers. We're talking, aren't we? Even better, I'll introduce myself. My name is Hideo, Hideo Karatachi." He stuck out his right hand towards but kept his left close to the pouch on his hip. His fingers didn't twitch towards his weapons, so she hoped it wasn't a trap.

Sakura hesitated before lightly grasping the tips of his fingers with her own in a loose handshake, the size difference of their hands not lost to her. He was quite a bit older than her, too, about the same age as Kakashi.

"Sakura," she said, not giving her last name aloud. She'd been debating keeping her fathers Iron born surname or adopting her mother's Water name for protection amongst the Mist village. For now, especially from foreign nin, she'd keep it locked within her.

He tried to pull her close, even going so far as to move to kiss the palm of her hand, but she snatched her hand back with speed faster than she thought capable. He grinned as if it was what he wanted all along and she realized she may have fallen into a trap. Civilians wouldn't have the reaction speed she did and she hoped he wasn't fishing for her status.

She winced and gave him a nervous smile, stepping back and looking as a boat arrived at the dock adjacent to him. Sakura also brightened when she recognized the old man helping a young boy off the boat.

She brushed the Hideo aside with a look and walked closer to the dock, smiling easily when the Tazuna recognized her with a cheery shout. He seemed in much better spirits with the fall of Gato and the completion of the Great Naruto Bridge. Even the workers driving the boats were more curious than cautious at her arrival. It was a stark contrast to the citizens of Wave she'd known a few months prior and it was a welcomed response.

Sakura bowed in respect and scratched the back of her head in a sheepish greeting. "Long time no see, Tazuna. How are you?"

While they hadn't left on familiar terms, the prosperity of a country coming from the brink of a civil war was bound to make anyone friendly. He spent more time interacting with Naruto and Kakashi than her, despite the fact that she was initially tasked with guarding him once Kakashi brushed her aside after tree walking. Those moments had been spent in boredom wondering about Sasuke. She flinched at the memory, upset at so much time in her life wasted over the dark-haired boy.

"I am doing well. These old bones aren't going to fail me just yet. Where's the rest of your group?" he asked good-heartedly. Even Inari looked excited at the prospect of seeing Naruto once more and she tried not to take it too seriously.

"It's just me, I'm afraid. I was actually looking to make passage to Mist from Wave, I was hoping you could help me?" she asked nervously. It seemed like fate that a familiar face this far away from her village would be there to help her. It also gave her passage over the border and for the chance to see the regime change under the new Mizukage. Word of the end of the Bloody Mist had only just reached Konoha, especially with the lack of attendance from Mist genin in the final rounds of the Chunnin exams.

She was still unsure of the new Mizukage and what kind of leader they'd be. If she made it out alive but without a new home, her next bet was to go North through Lightning across Gaikotsu Bay. Her fathers family in Iron was distant and almost a non-existent presence in her life. She realized that she didn't even know how or where to find them, let alone notify them of her parent's demise.

"Say no more. We're actually here to drop off some supplies to one of the Mizukage's guards and then we're going to be turning around to be home in time for dinner. Tsunami will be happy to have you," he said, looking around for his client.

When the Hideo greeted him with the same friendliness, she cursed her luck the previous nuisance would be in such proximity to the new Mizukage. She wouldn't try to twist and turn her words to make up for her first impression, no matter who he was.

She stayed silent watching the exchange, half embarrassed and half awkward as the ordeal didn't concern her. Inari, being the brat he was, didn't pay her much attention. Instead, he focused his efforts on testing his grandfathers and workers patience, playing with how far he could stray before he was yelled at to come back.

Eventually, the deal came to a close and Hideo was on his way with clones holding the boxes in tow. He was headed to a different dock down the coast, thankfully far away from her. However, he brushed against her as he left, a shadow of a hand touching her hair and mid-back.

Once again she acted on instinct, tossing a kunai his way which he effectively dodged because her aim was quite off. She cursed under her breath at being brushed aside so easily and carelessly and tried not to let it get to her on the ride to Wave.

 _"You have to admit, he was a bit cute,"_ Inner said.

"I'll admit to nothing because he was rude. I hope never to see him again," Sakura hissed back, readjusting on her seat in the back of the boat. Despite the lack of need for secrecy to traverse the waters, the men on the boat stayed silent and pensive on the ride back to Wave.

\-- [X] --

There was something about a mothers intuition that gave Tsunami an insight into Sakura's misgivings that neither her father nor son picked up on. When she shifted nervously after informing her that her team would not be following her to Wave, she didn't hesitate to shoo the men in her life out of the house on a useless errand before pulling her into a tight hug.

While Sakura hadn't looked in a mirror recently, she knew her face was worn and exhausted looking. It felt nice to receive affection and she melted into the hug and buried her face into the older woman's neck. The warm embrace was just what she needed to get her through the day since it was only just peeking into the afternoon.

Tsunami immediately offered her a room to stay in, the same one she shared with her team the last time she was here. The tatami room overlooking the small river next to their house was a welcome sight. Despite how comforting the family seemed, she still felt like she was overstepping boundaries and already vowed not to overstay her welcome.

With Tsunami elbow deep in dinner preparations, she left the house, despite offering to help cook or buy groceries. The mother shooed her away from the kitchen saying that guests don't work for their food. It was nice to relax and she took to the streets, hoping to see a flourishing town after Gato's reign of terror had ended.

Things were marginally better, by no means close to the bustling city she was used to in Konoha, but the food was fresher and fewer children were begging on the streets. Some merchants had even set up shop, selling frivolous wears that weren't present beforehand.

When they'd last been in Wave, it was all necessary goods. The citizens couldn't afford to spend money on things that weren't food, clothing, or shelter. It made for a depressing, bleak existence in her eyes.

_"Not like we'll be much better. We can only afford what we can carry on our back since we don't have a storage scroll to speak of."_

"We're this close to old Uzushio land. I'm sure there will be plenty of storage scrolls the closer we get to Mist. Water Country isn't a ninja wasteland like the land of Hot Water."

 _"Which also means we can't steal our way out of this. We need money and a job,"_ Inner reminded her, suddenly the realistic voice in the relationship.

"My first priority will be to find a job, don't worry. Even if it isn't shinobi work, I'm sure some shopkeep will need extra help. We won't be destitute for long."

Inner scoffed in her mind. _"We didn't abandon our village to become a minimum waged slave. The longer we wait around without improving our skills, the more the gap between us and the world builds. We're not in Fire anymore and we're nothing but a helpless fish swimming amongst sharks."_

Sakura shushed her Inner's musings as they came across the opposing shoreline. The water on this part of the island was calm and clear. She could see the tops of the sand from a dozen feet away. A few species of fish native to this section of the continent were swimming around, some going as close to the shoreline to feed on the sand worms popping up with each lapping wave.

She toed the line and eventually took off her boots, wiggling her toes in the sand. It was nice to give the sweaty skin a chance to breathe and the urge to dip into the water eventually overtook her. She wasn't dumb enough to strip down to her undergarments, but her pants were adjustable, so she tied them off to just above her knee and eventually waded through the water.

No one was around on this section of the island, too far away from the budding town square and nowhere near the natural resources they cultivated. Even the fish were nearly inedible due to their thin bodies and unnatural angles.

Without thinking, she lifted a pale leg and balanced it just above the waters surface. In the same breath, she channeled chakra to her foot, playing with the levels as it interacted with the water.

Eventually, she felt confident enough to place it on the water and was pleasantly surprised that she was able to stand on one leg. A happy laugh choked out of her and she repeated the interaction on the other side.

Walking around, she bobbed back and forth on top of the waves when a passing boat disturbed the water. She crouched slightly to absorb the shock but grinned when she stayed afloat.

The next few hours were spent bobbing and jumping along the water. In some instances, she skated along the shoreline, much to the amusement of some of the fishermen driving by. The atmosphere on the island was a welcoming one and it was almost enough to make her forget her worries.

When her chakra jumped to low levels, she finally trudged back to the beach, stopping just short of where the grass blended with the sand to get some rest. The sun was starting to dip low over the horizon and the sky was awash with brilliant purples and pinks she didn't see back at home. For a moment, both her and Inner were at peace.

 _"We had it wrong living on the mainland. Island life might be for us,"_ Inner sighed.

Sakura laughed and stretched her aching muscles. "The weather only gets worse the closer we get to Mist. It's still sunny because we're near the Mainland. Plus Winter is just around the corner and the days will get much shorter from here on out."

The weather was eventually getting to chilling temperatures so she trudged back to Tazuna's home where Tsunami had made a warm dinner for her. Sakura thanked her profusely and was pleased to have a home-cooked meal resting deep in her belly.

"This is delicious, Tsunami, thank you so much," Sakura said as she pushed the remnants of dinner around on her plate. She'd picked the fish clean off the bone and the only thing that remained was the head since she could never bring herself to consume it. The biggest indicator that her mom came from Water Country was her habit of eating the fish whole. Her and her Father could never stomach it and would often push the scraps off towards her.

At the thought of her parents, she stilled, having wonder what came of their bodies and whether they'd be proud of her decision. Inner nudged her when her musings got too deep and she blushed when she realized Tsunami had asked a question.

"I'm sorry. Would you repeat that?" she asked.

Tsunami waved her off and relaxed, "No worries Sakura-chan. I just asked what your plans were."

"Nothing terribly exciting, I'm afraid. I'm going to be headed towards Mist either tomorrow or the day after. I hope that is alright with you."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you want, my home is yours. It'll be nice to have some company other than the boys around. Inari has been busy with school and sometimes I feel like my house is nothing but a jungle gym for him and his friends."

Sakura smiled and bowed her head, grateful for the offering.

"And since you're here," Tazuna muttered, "you can take care of our bandit problem."

Tsunami hissed at her father to be quiet, embarrassed at his antics.

Sakura sat up straight and cocked her head, "Bandits? I thought all was well since Gato isn't around anymore."

Tazuna rolled his eyes and took another deep swig of the sake by his side. Tsunami glanced disapprovingly and busied herself with clearing the dishes, waving Sakura away once more when she offered to help.

"Just because one bad guy leaves doesn't mean there aren't half a dozen waiting to take his place. He had his fat little fingers deep into the underworld and we're just one of many that have been taken advantage of. The economy might be on its way to booming, but there are still men that make trouble for the sake of it."

"It's terrible, I will have to admit it. I make sure Inari is either with a friend or with dad whenever he's out of the house. Just in case," Tsunami said.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I really thought all of the problems would go away since he died," Sakura admitted, finally taking notice of the fact that Inari wasn't at the dinner table. She asked as such.

"Oh, he's away at a sleepover with a friend. He'd been so bitter since my husband's late death. Naruto really helped him come out of his shell, I'm so grateful. Please be sure to give him my love next time you see him."

Sakura swallowed and nodded in agreement, not making any verbal promises.

"Seeing as you're a shinobi and we've housed you, I was hoping you'd be willing to take care of it," Tazuna said as he took another swig of sake.

Tsunami noticed the flush on his cheeks and took the bottle off the table. "Dad, please be polite. We have no need nor reason to proposition Sakura-chan like that. She said she won't even be here long enough help, anyway."

Inner grinned with glee and Sakura couldn't stop the bubble of her taking the reins. "I'll do it."

Sakura cursed inward and grabbed her pants in between her fingers, clenching at the stiff fabric.

"Are you out of your mind," she hissed at inner.

_"We need work. What's a couple of bandits to a shinobi?"_

"We're barely shinobi. We're an out of work academy student against who knows how many bandits. We don't even know what they're capable of."

_"Ninja do recon. So do some digging around and figure out how many there are and where they stay. Even better, I bet they're in Gato's old hideout. Best of all, they don't know we're coming. It's not an official mission and I'm sure we can handle it."_

"You're going to make me eat those words," she sighed internally.

Tsunami grasped Sakura's hands between her own and kissed her forehead. "No one is forcing you to do anything, but if you can make our village safer for the children, I will be forever grateful."

Even Tazuna had nothing to say, but he clapped her on the back as he hobbled off to bed as the meal came to a close.

Sakura was the last one at the table, nursing a cup of tea right before she went to sleep.

_"I mean, how hard could it be?"_

\-- [X] --

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the welcoming response! I really appreciate you all reading my story and I hope you enjoy the update! 
> 
> Feel free to interact with me on Tumblr or Twitter!
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> I'll try and update weekly or biweekly, but be patient as I don't have a beta, so I'm sorry for any mistakes you see!
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> Thank you again!


	3. Miscalculated Efforts

**Chapter 3: Miscalculated Efforts**

"One of these days, you're going to get me into a situation I can't get myself out of, Inner," Sakura grumbled as she trudged through a mile of marshy woods where the ground threatened to swallow every step she took.

 _"It will have been payback for keeping me stuck in such a pathetic body,"_ Inner mocked back.

Since she couldn't actually hit her Inner, Sakura took her frustrations out on some lingering bugs that buzzed around her ears, hoping for a daytime snack. She wasn't used to the horse flies that frequented the almost swamp-like land and she was slowly losing her patience because of it.

The first few hours of her day were spent asking around the village for tales of the supposed bandits. She was hoping that Tazuna was overreacting, but it would've been too good to be true. While the villagers that did remember her and her team had mostly good things to say, it wasn't until she got to the elder population that she got the full story.

Most of Gato's men had perished but the more intelligent ones stuck around to pick up the pieces. It was the beginning of a hostile takeover, one not quite planned properly if she was being honest with herself.

The Great Naruto Bridge gave Wave advantages that they wouldn't be able to overcome. The bandits could steal all they want, but it was only pushing them one step backward as the village took two steps forward. It was the type of problem that would sort itself off, especially as Wave got more and more traffic, but it was still a nuisance to the community.

From what she could tell, there were only a dozen wreaking havoc and they mostly stayed near Gato's old hideout. It was a big complex in the middle of the forest and one that she hadn't visited the last time she was here. Most of her efforts had been spent on the bridge itself or in the meager marketplace doing errands for Tsunami, so she wasn't familiar with the terrain.

She was unsure if any of the other members of Team Seven had interacted with Gato's compound. There was a suggested effort, especially on Naruto's part with the thought of untold riches in mind. Kakashi-sensei had quickly shut the suggestion down, the older shinobi fed up and over the mission.

Sakura had wondered what went on in the businessman's stronghold and whether the nightmares her brain concocted were real. She imagined in its heyday, before Zabuza tore him apart and murdered his army of mercenaries, that it was a terrifying and imposing beacon of hatred. Gato had been the richest man on this side of the sea and she assumed most of the wealth had been stored in a vault in his base.

When she arrived at the said base, it was exactly as she imagined. Stone grey exterior buried between thick foliage and towering trees. There was a paved walkway when she got close enough, but she avoided it and stuck to the tree line surrounding the area.

There were a couple of men outside, lazily doing a perimeter sweep, but even she could tell their hearts weren't into it.

The difference in power was enough to make even the most skilled mercenary lax. Wave was without a proper militia; they had a single blacksmith on the island, and it seems that Mist wasn't overly concerned with what happened as long as goods were imported and exported as needed. Based on the ninja she encountered upon arriving into Mist territory, they didn't care much about the outer island or its struggles.

Climbing to a higher branch, she pressed her body flat against the large limb, crawling a bit closer to where she was almost over the edge of the compound. It wasn't the largest structure, and well within the academy practice runs for infiltration. Of course, those were with a support team since lone espionage wasn't taught until chunnin or jounin, but she hoped it would work out in her favor for how lazy they seem to be.

"I say we take out the two guards and storm the building."

"I say you're an idiot. We have a dozen kunai and shuriken and very weak Jutsu at our disposal. We were foolish to take this on. Now be quiet unless you're going to help me out," she hissed at her Inner.

"When am I never not helpful?"

Sakura scoffed but kept quiet as the two men moved closer towards where she was hiding. Both were slim but definitely taller and older than her. One carried a wakizashi at his hip, but the other seemed unarmed. She knew better, however, knowing how easily it was to conceal knives on your person.

The tree she was hiding in was one of the thickest in the forest, and Sakura cocked her head as they stopped underneath her directly. She tensed when one looked up with a feral grin.

 _"Sakura, duck!"_ her Inner screeched and she flipped around the tree, chakra pooled to her hands and feet keeping her secure to the underside of the branch.

Several arrows pierced the area she was at, and it was only the faint glint at the corner of her eye that gave away the next assault.

She dropped down on top of the armed mercenary, her body weight propelled by gravity. She felt the sickening crunch of bone underneath her boot and she grimaced at the sound. The unarmed one was prepared, bringing a dagger out from the tucked edge of his kimono top, slicing at her with practiced ease.

Another set of arrows made its way towards her, one of them hitting the downed guard in the process. He made another grunt of pain and a twitch but didn't move again after it.

Sakura rolled away from the arrows and the man with a knife, who was quicker and lighter on his feet than she expected.

 _"Your left! Now your right! Behind you, more arrows are coming!"_ Inner yelled out at each assault, which disoriented her, unused to the added efforts of listening to instructions alongside dodging for her life. Already the blade had drawn several slices up and down her arms, and she knew she'd have been long gone if he'd been taking it seriously.

The man hadn't lost his lackadaisical smirk since he pointed her out in the tree and Sakura longed to wipe it off his face permanently. Sakura switched from defense to offense and pulled several kunai out of her pouch, sending the first one towards the direction of the arrows towards her left. The other two were in each palm and copied his swiping motion, despite the knives not being a true dagger type weapon.

He dodged her attacks easily, but thankfully her first kunai seemed to have true aim as no more arrows came her way. She sent the kunai in her right hand towards the same area, relishing in the same fleshy thunk that the first one caused.

Jumping back, she threw the third kunai at the man, knowing he'd easily avoid it. Creating two clones, all three ran towards him, a low-level genjutsu weaving itself around her. It wasn't anything a true ninja worth his salt would fall for, but she'd yet to sense any chakra from her assailant, and she hoped the shifting perspective would be enough for her to gain an advantage over him.

Each clone grabbed a kunai and switched around with each other. The shaded trees covering the cloudy day was more than enough of a cover to hide the two clones without a shadow. He made the mistake of going for one of the two clones and she used it to her advantage, stabbing the kunai deep into the flesh of his neck.

She didn't hesitate to follow his dying body to the ground, stabbing him twice more for good measure.

Inner stayed silent as she grabbed her bearings, hoping that no one had noticed the commotion from outside the compound. Her first kills felt easier than she thought, despite the urge to vomit forming at the back of her throat.

 _"Keep it down, the fight isn't over yet,"_ Inner reminded her as she limped over to the nearest tree, leaning against the rough bark as a grounding technique. Her shirt was soaked with blood, some of it hers, most of it the guard she took down.

If the reports were accurate then she still had nine more men to go. She groaned and pushed her sleeves up over her elbows. Placing her hands on her knees, she heaved and breathed heavily as she slowed her racing heart. Thankfully the nausea had abated and eventually, she felt ready enough for the next assault.

\----

The building itself was simple and easy to navigate, something she was eternally grateful for. She could hear some roguish laughter down one of the hallways, but she pushed onward, hoping to get a better scope of the building and wondering if anything would be used to her advantage.

Sakura wished she was skilled in something other than basic kunai and shuriken. Mist shinobi and mercenaries were more often than not skilled in some sort of sword or bukijutsu. She knew some of the clan kids, especially those without a known Jutsu or Kekkei Genkai.

She knew that the Sarutobi clan had a contract with monkeys and frequently used staffs in their assault attacks. More and more after her mother's death did she wish that she asked her about her family's origin in Mist. Her mother kept her lineage close to her chest when escaping Bloody Mist, as did her father. The most she knew of the Haruno's was the samurai lineage that lived and died within Iron.

Her father and mother died as courier genin, no more than cannon fodder to the clan agenda. Maybe in a different life or in a different setting would they come out on top, but against the juggernaut that was Orochimaru, there was nothing that could have been done.

 _"I mean, if you had won the round against Ino, they would've been watching you in the stands and maybe been okay in the end,"_ Inner whispered from the deep recesses of her mind.

Sakura stilled and pressed herself against a wall in a dark corridor and tried to fight off the negative feelings that came whenever Inner criticized her like this. They'd been far and few between, especially in the past week, but it was clear to hear that her Inner was still capable of putting her in her place.

"Maybe if you hadn't spent so much time screaming over Sasuke, we would've spent more time learning in the academy," Sakura shot back, knowing it was fruitless to fight. Still, her insides were itchy with anticipation and some sort of aggravated release was enough to calm her down.

Another loud laugh broke through the budding internal argument and Sakura ducked into the nearest room just in case. It was a bedroom, at least she assumed it was at the dark lights made it difficult to tell. Sakura blinked around the darkness and towed quietly as she shut the door lightly behind her.

There was a mass on the bed, breathing slowly and undisturbed despite her intrusion.

 _"Go ahead and take him out before he wakes up,"_ Inner urged.

"He's dead asleep with his back turned, that's not fair."

_"Shinobi don't fight fair, they fight to win. You'll thank me when he's not holding us down and trying to kill us."_

Sakura swallowed around the lump in her throat and hurried over, raising her kunai and slashing it downward. Blood splattered over her face and the warm liquid touched her lips. Salt and bile coated the back of her tongue and the next few breaths were harder to take.

 _"Keep going. Think of all the islanders and why we're doing this. It's us or them,"_ Inner reminded her.

Sakura nodded and trudged onward, going through each of the rooms and taking out whoever was resting on this wing. She assumed that they were in shifts and the rowdiest ones were the ones currently on watch.

She took down four more men in her sleep, each one getting easier than the last. The last room had a mirror and the shocking reflection that stared back at her was nearly unrecognizable. Despite her efforts, blood still managed to spray her at every turn, something she assumed was more skill than experienced-based. Her pink hair managed to remain pristine at the high ponytail on the back of her head, but the bangs framing her forehead and the majority of her cheeks were tinged pink and red with blood.

Sakura scrubbed at her cheeks, but all that managed to come off were dried flecks. It merely smeared the fresh blood more across her face and she resigned to looking like a murder victim as she finished the job.

_"Job would imply we were getting paid."_

"They're paying with housing and food. Tsunami has been kind enough to take us in, it's the least we could do."

_"I understand. However, this is more charity work than anything. We're taking out academy level bandits in their sleep."_

"Speaking of which, what do you suppose we doing about the remaining four?" Sakura said as she creeped out of the housing wing and towards the only room that seemed to be inhabited. It was the main foyer with commanding ceilings and was obviously where Gato did most of his business if the architecture was anything to come by.

Mist buildings were more muted than Fire's were, but it made it all the more intimidating since the blend of grays and blues made for a depressing sight. The door was slightly ajar and she peeked into where there was a small table and a few men crowded around it. Cards and bottles were strewn about and the distinct stench of alcohol wafted through the air.

Sakura scrunched her nose and tried to peer farther into the room without moving the doors. It was dirty and overcrowded with stolen loot. Each pile held a different smattering of goods, the most important being weapons and textiles. She wondered what they planned on doing with such fine goods, especially since they seemed content to drink and gamble the day away.

_"Incredible how such a pathetic group can give Wave so much trouble."_

"They're without morals and don't care about others, that's what makes them dangerous."

Sakura grabbed onto the door handle to control the movement and kept it still as she pressed closer, assessing the men themselves instead of the room. They were the bulkiest she'd seen, unlike the thin men that she'd taken down outside or the fatter ones she slew in their sleep. The men were the closest looking to shinobi she'd seen.

_"I thought you said there were supposed to be four of them?"_

"There should be. Three outside, five were asleep in their rooms. Where is the fourth one?" she asked herself.

Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck raised, but it wasn't enough of a warning before a thick, muscular arm wrapped itself around her neck and pulled her up off the floor.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" he said, keeping her in a chokehold as he moved them both into the foyer.

The men around the table stopped their game and stared at them both, vicious looks coming over their faces.

Sakura scratched and scrambled against his hold, clawing with her chewed up nails as best she could. He grabbed her arms in one hand and kept them close to her chest, effectively holding her flat against him.

She tried to kick at him next, but he tightened the hold around her neck, choking her even further.

"While you men were playing with your dicks, this one here has slaughtered the rest of our group in cold blood. Tell me girly, who sent you? Was it that blasted new Mizukage? Fire country? Your coloring says Iron but the clothes say otherwise," he asked her.

Sakura garbled out a response but it was unintelligible. She focused on her breathing, trying not to run out of oxygen as he held her close.

Eventually, he dropped the hold around her neck and raised her by her wrists alone close to his face. "Don't make me ask again," he growled.

Sakura spit in his face and kicked at him again, this time successfully. Her foot met his chin with brutal force and he dropped her immediately. She scrambled off the floor and put distance between them all.

The other three finally sprung into action, backing up the apparent leader by grabbing their weapons and getting into a sloppy fighting stance. The thinnest one seemed wary on his feet, swaying side to side unconsciously. She hoped to use their drunkenness to her advantage.

The leader spat out a mouthful of blood from where his teeth tore into his lip from her kick. He cradled the building bruise and pulled out the katana by his side from his sheath.

"I was in a pretty nice mood before you came and murdered my comrades. Do me a favor and explain yourself before I get pissed off."

 _"Idiot thinks he has the high ground,"_ Inner scoffed, crossing her arms at the back of Sakura's mind. _"Time to show him how wrong they are."_

"We can't get cocky. I got lucky he didn't kill me when he had the chance to," she whispered, pulling out a kunai and mirroring their stance with her own. It was a sloppy, academy based one, but it was the closest she had to a fighting style.

"Answer me," he yelled, his deep voice echoed in the chamber.

Sakura decided between answering his questions versus keeping quiet, finally deciding on the former. "My name is Sakura and I have been hired by the people of Wave to get rid of you on the grounds for harassing their citizens," she said. She grimaced at how false and fake it sounded but hoped it was enough for them to take her seriously.

One of them dropped his weapons and laughed at her. "The people of Wave? Those drunken fishermen really hired a child to take care of us. I say we go according to schedule and just get rid of them once and for all," he said.

The leader laughed with him, it was an ugly and terrible thing to hear. "It's tempting, but right now I really want to get this child back. Do you know how hard it is to find men willing to work in this shit show? We've got plans and you're a real thorn in my side."

"It's an island between two shinobi nations. Why cause these people so much misery?" she asked. Sakura couldn't help herself and hoped that it was enough to stall them while she thought of a plan.

"Money, girl. Money makes the world go round, don't you know that?" he asked. He turned to whisper at his comrades who nodded at his command.

"Wave is broken and the people can barely afford to feed themselves. You're just torturing them, it's cruel and inhumane."

"What's cruel is you murdering people in their sleep. If you're going to kill, you better give the other person a fighting chance."

"I'm giving you one. Don't waste it," Sakura said.

She launched herself at the drunkest one on the edge of the group, her kunai easily taking him down without much force. From behind she dropped and rolled to the floor when the leader's katana sliced at her.

The other two made their way out of the foyer and she followed them, avoiding being locked in a room with the biggest of them.

"Where are you going?" she called out, "I thought you wanted to put me in my place?"

"Your fight is with me, girly. They have something more important to attend to," the leader said from behind her, slicing at her once more with his katana. He was easily the most skilled out of the bunch, apparent from the ways that his sword was slicing her clothes to ribbons.

Sakura trudged onwards, blocking his blows with kunai and launching shuriken at him when she was able to put distance between them.

She kept the other two in her sight, but they avoided the fight with determination.

"What are they doing?" she asked when their blades clashed together. She could help but talk during the fight, a nervous habit she desperately needed to drop. Inner was silent in the back of her mind, watching and waiting in case things turned sour.

"The people of Wave want to fight? We'll give them a fight," he said, taking his katana and stabbing at her, switching his tactic.

Sakura fell back and dodged, turning on the defensive. She could feel her muscles fatiguing and her breath getting shallower. Her stamina was pathetic and she regretted taunting them so. Eventually, she tripped and fell backward, rolling over herself to land away from the men.

The leader scoffed and pounced on her immediately, placing his large foot on her sternum and pressing down harshly. She gasped underneath the pressure and tried to get the limb off of her chest before he crushed her bones.

"Any last words?" he said, placing the katana at the edge of her iris.

She crossed her eyes and stared at the edge of the blade, eyes wide, and the air rushing from her lungs.

 _"Oh fuck. Oh, fuck! Do something!"_ Inner screeched.

Sakura stilled and then reached into her kunai pouch, slicing the man behind the knee and rolling sideways out from underneath him as the katana came crashing down. She scrambled and crawled away from the body as he kneeled onto the concrete in pain.

She pushed him over and sent another kunai his way, this one meeting his skull with a dull thud.

The other two were nowhere to be found and she screamed in the empty room because of how close she was to dying. "Oh my Kami," she whispered.

This time she did throw up, puking up the meager breakfast from this morning all over the floor.

"Oh my Kami," she said again.

When her stomach settled, only then did she remember that her job wasn't done.

Sakura shot out of the building, running as fast as her limbs would take her. She pooled chakra through her legs, hoping the circulated efforts would be enough to close the distance. The men had longer strides and more time to cross the forest than her, but with any luck, she'd get to them before they got to the town.

She followed the tracks they left in the marsh with ease, the two not caring if she could follow them.

The sweat mixed with the shallow cuts across her body, stinging something fierce in the chill but humid air.

Finally, she came across them, near the site where they buried Zabuza and Haku on the other side of the bridge. Then she realized their plans as they were unfolding ropes and ropes of dynamite from along their back.

Sakura reached into her pouch but screamed as her hands came up with nothing. There weren't any shuriken left either.

"What do I do? I don't think I'm strong enough to physically take them down," Sakura asked Inner.

 _"Let me think,_ " Inner said back.

"There's no time to think. I'm going to wing it," she said.

Jumping out of the treeline she stopped before the two men.

"Stop what you're doing and I'll allow you to live," she said.

"Where's the boss?" one asked her while the other sneered at her. They ignored her orders and kept unloading what they needed. It looked as if they'd been preparing the sight for weeks with the amount of supplies that were nearby. She wondered what would've happened to the small town if she hadn't come this way by chance. What would've happened to Wave, Tsunami, Tazuna, or even Inari if she had gone to Iron instead of Mist. She also wondered why the new Mizukage cared so little for an island so close to the Fire border. 

"Dead. And you will be too if you don't listen," she vamped. She hoped they wouldn't call her bluff seeing as she was weaponless and they had enough dynamite to level the small town and then some. A better part of her knew she shouldn't have rushed out of a stronghold teaming with weapons that she could've used in this instance. Instead, she'd thrown kunai as if they were made of paper and was left stranded because of it. 

She thought of the poor citizens suffering from years of abuse by a greedy man only to be taken out by explosives charged by people who wanted to prey on the weak. Sakura wondered if this is how the rest of the world worked.

The man on her left scoffed and pulled out the tanto hanging from the side of his hip. "Akira, you keep unloading the stuff. I'll take care of this pest," he said. He walked a bit of ways towards her and stopped directly in front, in between her and his partner. 

Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat and raised her fists.

"What? All out of knives?" he mocked. 

"I don't need them to take you down," she bluffed back.

He launched himself at her, cutting through the air with a quickness she didn't expect. Sakura cursed and fell to the side. Rolling and sliding through the dirt, wincing as the soil rubbed into the already sore cuts. The number of injuries was slowly getting to her, and already fatigued muscles were on the verge of becoming exhausted. Her stamina was next to nothing, and time and time again did she regret it. 

A glint of metal out of the corner of her eye was enough of a motivation for her and she grabbed the handle of whatever was closest to her, heaving it in an arch and down across the man coming for her. The executioners blade easily cleaved him in two and the halves dropped to the ground within the next breath. She couldn't even gag as she looked in awe at what she'd done. 

Sakura gasped and realized she'd grabbed Zabuza's sword from where it was a grave marker. The metal was still as shiny as it was the day they left and the blood from the mercenary seemed to seep into the few cracks that remained from the last time it was in battle.

Kubikiribocho hummed from its place in her right hand. She expected it to be heavier, but it felt light as air as she lifted it into the air and onto her shoulder. The childish part of her brain wanted to slice it through the air with a few practice swings but now was not the time. 

The last mercenary, Akira, gawked at her and dropped the explosives from his hands almost immediately. 

Sakura dropped the blade back down again and focused on the last enemy remaining. He tried to run but the reach of the sword was too great and it was easy enough to take him down alongside his friend. 

_"I see why Zabuza acted the way he did. I feel invincible,"_ Inner said.

Sakura hummed in agreement and finally sighed in relief now that everything was done. Despite this, however, she made no move to return the sword to where it was signifying Zabuza's grave. She was torn and didn't know which decision to make.

_"Seems an awful waste to just leave it here."_

Stroking the handle, she chewed on her lip, unsure of what to do. The blade continued to hum in her hand as if agreeing with her conscience that she should keep the blade. She wouldn't even know what to do with a blade taller than her with the ability to slice through anything it came across. It would put her on the map, but the target of using a blade belonging to the Seven Swordsmen would also be too much to bear. 

Unfortunately, the world decided before her as the edge of her vision started twinkling, and only then was Sakura reminded of the injuries she adopted during her fights. Staggering onto her knees, she heaved herself onto the dirt and sighed.

Eventually, the world faded to black, the handle of Kubikiribocho still tight in her grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm sorry for the late update! I am an American and the election really cut into my writing time. Thankfully, it's all over and done with now :). I hope you enjoyed the chapter and please let me know what you think! 
> 
> If you saw any errors, I'm sorry! I don't have a beta so sometimes they slip through!
> 
> Interact with me on Twitter and Tumblr if you want :)
> 
> Twitter: SabrinaWolfe_  
> Tumblr: Harliqueen


	4. Minnow Amongst Sharks Part 1

**Minnow Amongst Sharks**

Sakura awoke to a pounding migraine and rays of a too-bright sun burning her face. The room itself was warm and comforting, almost enough so for her to fall back asleep were it not for the incessant poking that had begun when she first twitched into consciousness.

She blinked the heavy sleep out of her eyes and looked into Inari's dark ones. Her nose scrunched at the snotty kid but she didn't make much of a move to push him away.

Dragging her sore body up from its lying position, she winced as every muscle protested her efforts. She'd never felt this achy or uncoordinated, but she knew that it would only get better as she stressed the stiffness out of her body.

Raising her arms high above her head, she stretched her spine up as far as it would go, relishing in every pop of vertebrae. The bandages around her arm didn't escape her, she looked oddly like a mummy from the neck down. The wrapping was in the typical civilian style, so she knew the town's doctor must've helped her after passing out battling those mercenaries.

Inari waited patiently, surprisingly, for her to wake up fully. When the final dregs of sleep left her mind, she waved a hand towards him.

"Wow! Nee-san, you took out all those bandits by yourself? How did you do it? Did you kill anybody? What techniques did you use? How do you feel?" he asked in rapid succession.

Sakura blinked and tried to keep track of as many questions as possible. It was oddly reminiscent of being barraged by Naruto, the mannerisms strikingly similar. Were it not for the throbbing in the back of her skull, she might've entertained his behavior.

However, she had neither the energy nor the patience, but thankfully Tsunami saved her the trouble of pushing the child away.

"Inari," she scolded, adjusting the tray she'd been carrying to the other hand, "I told you not to bother Sakura-chan. She's had a hard day and she doesn't need you to be that close. Go play outside."

Inari stuck his tongue out at his mother but complied nonetheless. Sakura was eternally thankful for intervention.

She sighed and relaxed against the wall that the tatami mat was pushed flush against. The wall was sound enough to support her body weight, so she let the structure take the bulk of her stress.

Tsunami placed a small dining tray in front of her with a bowl of rice and some miso soup on it. There was a cup of steaming tea next to it, which Sakura chose first amongst the offerings.

"I thought I'd offer something lighter on the stomach. How are you feeling?" she asked, brushing a stray lock out of Sakura's face.

She resisted the urge to curl into the warm hand that caressed her cheek. Her heart longed for her own mother to be here, rather than Tsunami. She appreciated the older woman's hospitality, but it was just a painful reminder of what she lost, rather than a steady comfort for what's to come.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. My muscles are sore, but it's nothing a stretch and a bath won't fix. How is the town doing?"

Tsunami smiled brilliantly and she felt warmth flood her cheeks.

"Much better now that the mercenaries are taken care of. We can't thank you enough for what you've done for our community. The bridge helped our economy, and we have your team to thank for that too. But, you've made our streets safer and I no longer have to look over my shoulder when walking through the market."

Sakura smiled back and she felt Inner's happiness radiate through her. The inner psyche had been silent but satisfied since she'd woken up. Even her dreams were pleasant and warm, despite her not being able to remember them.

"I'm glad I could help."

"You did more than help. We owe you our lives once more. You are welcome back to stay here and recover for as long as you need to. We're happy to take care of you."

Sakura nodded her thanks and sighed when Tsunami left her alone. She picked at the miso more than the rice, stomach not quite ready for solids just yet.

_"I never thought being a hero would be so anticlimactic,"_ Inner muttered.

"We're not heroes. We were hired to do a job, and we did it."

_"Hired would imply that we were getting paid. You heard Tsunami. We saved the village and the streets are safer because of it. Nothing's more heroic than that."_

Sakura rolled her eyes and slurped up the rest of the soup, filtering out the tofu pieces with her teeth. "Don't get a complex. We got lucky and you know it."

_"Speaking of luck,"_ Inner reminded her.

Sakura dropped the empty bowl and looked around, suddenly aware of the massive metal sword propped in the corner of the room. The glinting metal twinkling in the afternoon sun. 

"I thought I dreamt that. What were we thinking?"

_"We were thinking about how we were about to die, so we had to use the terrain to our advantage. It just so happened that our terrain included a massive metal sword."_

"It's not just a sword. We desecrated a grave."

If Inner had eyes to roll, they would've been in the back of her head by now, Sakura was sure of it. " _We didn't dig up a body. We took a piece of weaponry. Better us than some kids who don't know how to use it."_

"We don't even know how to use it," Sakura reminded her as she crawled over to the sword. It was, even more, intimidating up close, somehow just as scary as it was when Zabuza was wielding it. The sword was never aimed towards her, but the memories she had of it were not pleasant.

Tentatively, she traced the edges of the sword, being careful not to slice her hand where the edge narrowed to a fine sliver. It was amazing how something so big was able to cut so efficiently. There was not a single scratch on its surface, any blemishes had been wiped away in the fight. Sakura doubted that neither Tsunami nor Tazuna had any polishing kits in their home, so she wondered how the sword was able to stay so polished.

_"Better us than anyone else. Imagine what we could do with a weapon like this on our side? We could be legendary,"_ Inner said, sounding almost feral by the end of it.

As if Kubikiribocho could hear her inner thoughts, it vibrated under her hand in agreement.

Sakura scrunched her nose, something she'd been doing a lot of lately, and sighed dejectedly.

"We're going to need a storage scroll. We can't carry around a six-foot sword while trying to get to Mist. They'll kill us first just to get to the sword without asking any questions. We haven't even practiced for what we're going to say to the Mizukage. If we even get that far."

_"You don't have to be so negative all the time. Take this victory for what it was, a victory. We defeated a score of bandits and saved an innocent village from being taken advantage of. Enjoy it."_

Sakura rolled her eyes and went back to the futon, taking one last long look at Kubikiribocho.

"Besides. We'll grow into it eventually. Even though Kaa-san was short, her brother was well over six feet. That has to count for something."

( * |-X-X-X-<<

It took Sakura the rest of the week to recover from her fight. While her injuries were minimal, the muscle strain took more out of her than she expected. On the fifth day of recovery, she was finally able to stretch her limbs and go through her katas without strain or suffering. On the sixth day, she decided it was time to part from her small home away from home.

She'll come to miss Wave eventually. Even Inari had grown on her, now that he seemed to have switched his fanatical longing from Naruto to her. The townspeople matched his enthusiasm and she learned very quickly that they wouldn't take any sort of payment for her as long as she was in town.

It was dawn when she decided to leave. It was easier to slip away and leave the comfort of a warm village when there was no one around to wish you goodbye. She left a heartfelt note to Tsunami and her family, wishing them well. She left no return address, unsure if the journey to Mist would result in her death or not.

She certainly couldn't have it for Konoha or her relatives in Iron. Too many trails that would point to her location.

Along the docks was the massive fishing boat that floated in between Mist and Wave, now more so with the lack of civil hostility and the construction of the Great Naruto Bridge. She'd become familiar with some of the fishermen, especially because a good majority either had family or lived in Wave themselves. The men were more than happy to transport her across the lower portion of the Kaizoku Sea, for which she expressed her gratitude.

It was on the large side for a fishing vessel, so she took her perch on the top of the sails, using chakra to keep her stuck to the wood. Sakura wasn't up for socializing with the gruff but welcoming fisherman. Despite their pleasantries, she was still mentally exhausted from the ordeal and wanted the time to prepare herself for the meeting with the Mizukage.

The cold, salty air was comforting, for some odd reason. They were towards the end of their day-long trip to Mist but had yet to spot land in front of them. Wave had long since disappeared behind them, leaving nothing but blue ocean waters all around. Occasionally she spotted wildlife peaking amongst the waves, and were she not saving her chakra, she longed to explore the surface of the ocean. A pod of dolphins was the most memorable and she knew the fishermen working beneath her looked at her with humor and mirth at her pleased cackle. 

The skies were clear and the wind was strong, so the journey continued to be a pleasant one. It wouldn't be long before they sailed near a checkpoint and she checked to make sure everything on her person was secured. They'd promised to get her as close as possible, seeing as they'd never transported a foreign shinobi before. She assumed the procedure was similar to a caravan helping a shinobi in Fire Country. Shinobi scouts were all across the forest and it was a miracle that none of the ones she passed questioned her. It was a plus that Konoha was so stretched thin that they didn't think twice about a lone genin in the woods. 

In Wave, one of the townsfolk, while not Shinobi, had a multitude of shinobi wears hidden away from the era of the Bloody Mist. In it resided an old Uzu scroll intact enough for her to be able to store Kubikiribocho in it.

Even with the sword being inanimate, she could tell that it didn't appreciate being locked away by Fuinjutsu.

The man was also kind enough to give her a few sets of clothes since hers had been sliced to ribbons in the fight. While the kimonos Tsunami had lent her were fine by themselves, they weren't fitting for shinobi and the one he'd given were more suited for Water Country's weather regardless.

The fabric wasn't unfamiliar, but definitely thicker than what was used in Fire country. It was impervious to water and kept her warm. It was something that she wouldn't have been caught dead in a month ago, but now she was grateful that the thick, dark fabric covered every inch of her skin. She looked almost like a boy were it not for her hair and her petite features. 

Her pink hair definitely stood out against her now dark demeanor, but it was almost comforting to see that it was the one thing that hadn't changed. Her eyes had dulled considerably, still their stark green color, but they didn't seem as bright to her as they used to. It could be her imagination, but looking in the mirror after leaving Konoha only brought dark thoughts.

She didn't regret leaving the village, but she missed what used to be her home. She missed coming home from a long day of training to her parents comforting presence and home-cooked meals. Even the hardest of days of being on Team Seven didn't come close to how exhausting her life had become.

Sakura knew she had to grow up at some point, but a part of her wished she'd appreciated her youth just a bit more.

_"On the left, look. Another ship is approaching,"_ Inner cut in, interrupting her musings.

Sakura craned her neck to see a much smaller ship making a beeline towards hers. She jumped down from the sail and landed next to the captain, who didn't seem worried at the possibility of being boarded.

"Who are they?" she asked.

The man smiled, clapping her on the back, nearly knocking her over as the boat hit another wave. He took his hat off and waved at the ship, beckoning them over. "That would be your ride, little kunoichi. We've taken you as far as we have jurisdiction over, but the Mizukage handles all shinobi business, of course. We're heading South after this anyway. We have a stop before we get to Mizu so they came at the perfect time."

Sakura gulped but straightened her back as a couple of shinobi quickly jumped from the smaller boat onto their much larger one. Despite her instincts screaming at her to run and fight, she stood still, letting them get as close as they were comfortable.

There were only two shinobi, one was even around her age and looked just as nervous as she felt. The other was much older and more stern looking with an eye patch covering his right eye.

Despite her reluctance, she shifted underneath his gaze that seemed to pierce right through her. To make up for her show of weakness, she bowed slightly, hoping the movement was fluid enough for their taste.

"State your name and reason for breaching Water Country borders," the older one said.

Sakura hesitated and in that brief moment, Inner took over, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Hoshigaki Sakura. My mother is Hoshigaki Mebuki, who left in her youth. I'm just trying to return home," she said. Sakura stilled and immediately wished she could turn around and flee. It was one of her two trump cards, the other being Kubikiribocho tucked into her pouch, and she'd shown it earlier than she wanted. If she had the time she would've cursed Inner to high heaven, but instead had to live with the consequences. 

The one around her age stumbled on his feet, nearly tripping over at her words. The older one wasn't convinced and pushed the young one forward, taking the initiative of her capture. Again, she wanted to jump back as the young man came close to her, but she stayed in place. 

"A likely story for the Mizukage. Chojuro, you're in charge of the prisoner while we return back to the village. Any funny business and he'll cut off your head. Your words have saved you for now," he said. The man turned around and jumped back onto the smaller boat, gesturing to the driver in a way she couldn't interpret. It was almost anti-climactic and she wondered if her family's name carried more weight than she thought. The caste system in Mizukage was a well known, but ancient practice. Sakura didn't know if it had been phased out during the ascension of the Fifth Mizukage, but she would take whatever help she could get navigating the treacherous waters.

Chojuro was less enthused to be around her than she felt to be around him, but something in her took pity on the shinobi in charge of her life, so she made the first move. Holding her slim wrists out in front of her, she smiled hesitantly. There was an odd sense of comradery between the two, and she took an instant liking to the blue-haired teen. His glasses shifted in the moment and he fixed them as he pulled restraints from his pack. 

They shared a brief moment while he tied chakra manacles around her wrist, the calluses of his fingertips ghosting the inner flesh of her wrist in a way that made her involuntary blush. Neither spoke and the Captain waved her off with one last clap on the back.

Both of them jumped onto the small vessel and she was quickly pushed down and secured to a seat at the front of the boat. Unlike the fishing boat, this one moved with a quickness she didn't expect and almost immediately she was soaked with saltwater.

She felt and likely looked like a drowned rat, so much so that Chojuro couldn't help but laugh underneath his breath from his position next to her. There was a small leash leading the shackles to his wrist, she assumed it was so she wouldn't get the idea to run. 

The motion was quickly silenced by the older man, but somehow Sakura felt safe that the one around her age was somewhat on her side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for your patience while I update this story! Things have been very busy in my life, so I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than normal. Please let me know if you prefer shorter (2-3k), more frequent chapters, or longer (4-6k), less frequent chapters. 
> 
> We finally enter Water Country and I've even revealed who Sakura is related to! Did you guess it right? The next chapter is going to be a fun one, but not what you expect! Please R&R and thank you so much for reading!


	5. Telltale Heart

**Chapter 5: Telltale Heart**

The back of Kakashi’s skull itched with the same intensity you would feel from an infected dog bite. Despite nothing physically wrong with him, in fact, he was more well-rested than he’d had been in quite a while, he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

He and Sasuke were returning from their brief mission outside of the village, something the clan heir desperately needed. He worried that Sasuke was becoming too shrouded in regret and vengeance, and the mission was just what the teen needed to calm down.

It was hard to balance three hormonal children all teeming with possibilities, but with Naruto essentially adopted by Jiraiya, and Sakura responsible enough to handle herself, he divvied up most of his attention to the young Uchiha.

The weight on his shoulders was noticeably lighter as the gates of Konoha entered their vision. No matter how many years he spent as an active Shinobi, being away from home still left a heavy weight at the bottom of his stomach.

Only this time he was greeted with a frantic blonde that didn’t hesitate to pounce on the duo, but not like he expected. Naruto bypassed Sasuke completely, despite Kakashi assuming their rivalry would continue in full swing.

He found himself with his arms full of Naruto who was pulling and sputtering in a way he’d never seen before.

He quickly dropped his young Genin, scratching the back of his head in the process.

“Maa, Naruto, I didn’t realize you missed us so much,” he joked.

Despite trying to keep a light heart, he still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.

“It’s Sakura, Kakashi-sensei! She’s gone. Granny said that she never reported for active duty and no one in the rookie nine has seen her since the invasion. It’s like she’s disappeared off the face of the earth,” he babbled.

Even Sasuke looked intrigued, even the slightest bit concerned at Naruto’s words. Their time away from the village wasn't enough for him to appreciate his teammates, but absence did make the heart grow fonder. 

“Calm down. Start from the beginning. Did you even check her parents home in the civilian district? She still lives with them, I’m sure.”

“I did. I asked all of our classmates and even some of their parents. Granny won’t assign any ninja to do a search and rescue. What if she’s been kidnapped?”

“Who would want to kidnap her, hmm?” Sasuke scoffed, pushing the blonde forward as they checked in through the gates.

Kakashi’s stomach gurgled and twisted the more Naruto spoke. He hoped for the best, but with his track record, he knew to expect the worst.

He’d left her alone in the village so soon after a life-threatening invasion. Hindsight was twenty-twenty and he could now see his margin of error.

Kakashi followed silently behind the two boys as they made their way to the Hokage tower, the village teeming with life as if nothing had happened. In their absence, the village had almost completely rebuilt itself, with all of the debris and ruin gone from the streets.

Citizens greeted the three of them with the same general indifference or outright loathing as they always did. A few well-placed glares deterred some of the more outright hostility from Naruto. The blonde flitted around Sasuke with reckless abandon and if his head weren’t full of cotton and regret, he’d save the memory with his Sharingan.

Sakura had always been the least of his worries, but never in the way he intended. Girls were easier to raise, soft, and less chaotic than pre-teen boys. Kakashi knew Asuma dealt with the same type of kunoichi on his team but handled her differently than him.

Gai and Kurenai were different stories, and were he a better man, he’d ask for their advice on shaping a young woman into a fine Shinobi. Instead, he chose to let the girl exist with independence and he only hoped he didn’t make a mistake.

While his heart clenched at the last time he saw the pinkette, Sasuke required more of his time than he was comfortable letting on. The last Uchiha was a handful just like his predecessors, and he knew that if he turned his head for a moment, the boy would slip through the cracks and descent into madness like his brother.

They happened upon the Hokage tower in record timing, being waved through clearance with the ease that only a former ANBU captain would receive. The boys would someday learn that patience is a virtue in politics, but for now, he’d let them think that they could barge in on the most important man, now woman, in the village at a moment's notice.

Kakashi had never met Tsunade, at least not in a way that he could remember. His recollection of the Sannin was fuzzy at best, despite his Sensei being the protege of one of them. If anything, his familiarity extended to the Toad Sage and no one else.

He’d already dealt with Orochimaru in as much of a capacity as he was willing, and with the curse mark still hanging at the back of Sasuke’s throat, it was more than enough for a lifetime.

Naruto’s tact left much to be desired as he barged into the office, breaking all protocol and lacking decorum.

“Granny! Kakashi-sensei and teme are here! You have to let us go find Sakura-chan,” he pleaded.

Kakashi and Sasuke followed suit, with the former closing the door behind them. His back itched with the activation of privacy seals and he hoped the conversation wasn’t as bleak as it seemed.

The lone female Sannin remained unchanged in her time away from the village, but she seemed right at home sitting behind the Hokage's desk. A bottle of sake was on her left and she sipped at it as she surveyed the three of them.

"I've told you time and time again, I am not going to divert resources for a girl that obviously doesn't want to be found," she cut through harshly.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head before picking up the blonde and placing him in one of the two seats in front of her desk. Sasuke sat at the other, crossing his arms and looking every part the petulant child he knew him to be.

"I think it's best we start at the beginning, Tsunade-sama. Sasuke and I just returned from a mission away from the village."

"Moreover, I'll be expecting your report promptly on my desk no later than tomorrow afternoon. My predecessor may have played nice, but I am not going to deal with your habits so early on into my reign."

Kakashi nodded in agreement, cursing at the back of his mind for his habits being so well known. Mission reports were a bore, but it was as good as a time as any for Sasuke to learn how to do them on his own.

Tsunade sighed and leaned back in the leather chair, crossing her legs and putting her hands together so her fingertips touched. Naruto shifted in his seat, vibrating with nervous energy. Kakashi placed his hand on the blonde's head, hoping it was a comforting enough gesture for the genin.

"Shinobi Haruno Sakura did not report to duty when called. A messenger hawk was sent to her house, but it returned when she was nowhere to be found. As an orphan, Sakura is legally her own guardian. As a genin, she poses no threat to the village. Even as a member of Team Seven, I can not divert ANBU to chase down a twelve-year-old girl. Her dual citizenship grants her amnesty and ease of travel between the two villages, and I don't have time for this. All of this I told Naruto days ago."

"But, Granny! It doesn't make any sense. Why would Sakura-chan leave?"

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "I know as much as you, you brat. You're her teammates, you figure it out. I can not spend my time wondering about her. I have an entire village to run. You and that old pervert didn't drag me here to find Haruno Sakura, you dragged me here to be the Hokage. I'm sorry that your teammate is missing, but as a legal adult, I don't have much leeway in what I can do."

"About that, Tsunade-sama. What did you mean by legal adult?"

This time she diverted her apathy onto Kakashi, treating him with the same amount of annoyance as she did Naruto, only this time less fondly.

"Do I have to spell it out to the three orphans in the room? Haruno Mebuki and Haruno Kizashi were reported dead the day after Orochimaru invaded. Haruno Sakura was called to report for duty along with the rest of the chunnin participants to discuss who failed and who passed. Seeing as she didn't report for duty, and the messenger hawks could not find her, it's safe to assume she has put the life of shinobi behind her. Losing a parent, let alone both of them, is more than enough of a motivator to go to her next of kin."

"Wait her parents died?" Naruto asked, focusing on the least important factor of the equation.

Kakashi vaguely remembered receiving a coroner's report in his mailbox, as was customary for most jounin should a death occur to one of his students. Paired with his pink-haired student's sudden disappearance after the invasion, the pieces were falling into place but not in his favor.

Not for the first time in his life was he thankful for wearing a mask. If they could see through the thick fabric they'd be able to make out the worsening frown on his face. His lone eye was trained enough not to betray his emotions, but not even he could stop the weight of the world from pulling his shoulders down.

Naruto still fought with their Hokage, but he cut it to an end when he saw the older kunoichi's veins start to flex in her forearms. It wouldn't do them any good for her to punch some sense into him, even if Kakashi hoped in the back of his mind that the brain trauma would calm him down from his normally excitable state. Sakura would have to wait while they regrouped, that much was clear. 

"Naruto, enough. This is officially Team Seven business and we'll resolve this in a meeting without bothering the Hokage. Sasuke, drop off your stuff and keep an eye on your teammate. I'm going to search Sakura's house. Meet me at the training grounds in two hours."

X-X-X-X

In the past, Kakashi would've spent the next two hours praying at the Memorial Stone, contemplating how long he'd make his team wait. Instead, he spent two hours running around the village, feeling awfully like a chicken with his head cut off.

The first hour was spent tracking down his pink-haired students living arrangements. He remembered the girl looking dirtier than usual, but he passed it off for rowdy filth. It wasn't uncommon for ninja to get dirty, but he should've realized that something was amiss.

All this time he paraded teamwork as being the most important skill and now his female charge is missing and he is without cause or has no clue of her whereabouts.

He grabbed her file from the pile on his desk, buried between late mission reports and bills. The paper on the desk collected dust more often than not, and for the first time since taking his team almost six months ago, he read it cover to cover.

He would've never suspected the pink-haired student having the background she did. Two loving parents, a rarity amongst the team, were predictable. However, the product of immigrants, he didn't expect. Kizashi Haruno came from the land of Iron, the previous head of a merchant clan. He immigrated to Konoha at the age of nineteen, with a heavily pregnant wife in tow. He had enough general shinobi experience to join the genin corps as a permanent member and was noted with respectability. He reminded Kakashi of Gai's dad, another eternal genin.

It wasn't uncommon for civilians to join the genin corps for the benefits and the ease of job security. The older members were given courier missions or trips to the scout bases near the Konoha borders. They flew under the radar but were essential enough to the village that they were a prominent figure within it.

Mebuki Haruno was a different story. Another member of the genin corps, but promotions were refused whenever she was offered one. Notes of being a refugee from the Bloody Mist era, she preferred the scouting missions and had enough under her belt that she was the first call above many. Despite being a member of the Bloody Mist, her psychological evaluations were passed with flying colors and nothing seemed out of the ordinary according to Intel.

All Kakashi wanted was to make sense of his female student, but he was left with more questions than answers. Her dual citizenship was a big surprise to him. With her coloring, she seemed more Mist than Iron, since the Water Country was known for bright colored citizens and muted fashion tones. Iron was the opposite, their citizens dull like the landscape, but the connection to wealthy merchants meant that they could afford the colorful, more fine silks and bolts of fabric.

It wasn't surprising that a dual citizenship to Mist was noted under her chart, but it seemed inactive and he doubt she even knew of it. He feared that she may have fled the village, but he wouldn't know more until he talked to his students. Iron was the closest since they shared a border, and while it wouldn't be much work to request a mission to retrieve his wayward student, he wouldn't have the first clue on where to start or if she made it there safely. Even worse, if she wanted to come back. 

He briefly considered Mist, but instantly knew that it would be too much for Sakura. The age of the Bloody Mist was still in full swing and wild hair colors were still associated with Kekkei Genkai in that section of the world. They played it safe by visiting Wave since many of the citizens were well versed in Konoha's culture. He hoped she had a better sense of self-preservation and knew better than to attempt that country.

Kakashi jumped down from the tree he'd been sitting on when he noticed his two remaining students arriving at the memorial stone they usually met at.

The last hour, he'd traveled to Sakura's last known whereabouts aside from her home, even going so far as to have his ninken track down her scent within the village. Pakkun let him know that her scent was heaviest in a civilian park before leading outside of the village.

Unfortunately for him, it'd been so long since he last saw her that there wasn't much of a trail to go off of. Not that it would be much help anyway.

Sakura's house had been demolished and was slowly being rebuilt along with everything else in the civilian sector she lived in. Most of the block was down to the studs, and the neighbors he could find told him that she hadn't been seen for weeks.

"Naruto. Sasuke. What do you know about Sakura? Does she have any close friends or family in the village she might have stayed with?"

Both of them seem taken aback by his question, but neither had an answer for him.

"She was friends with the Yamanaka at the academy, but they haven't talked to each other in a while," Sasuke supplied, surprisingly. Naruto seemed just as shocked as Kakashi felt. Sasuke shrugged and looked away from the two of them.

"Yeah, yeah. I just didn't think you noticed, teme. She usually went straight home after our team meetings, so I don't know if she had friends outside of us. Were you able to find her, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Obviously not, Dope. Otherwise, she'd be here right now."

Naruto opened his mouth to fight back, but Kakashi hushed the both of them.

"Now is not the time to fight. My ninken haven't found traces of her being in the village for a few weeks. Think. She's your teammate, you don't have any information on where she could be?"

Sasuke didn't reply this time, and even Naruto looked dejected enough to shake his head.

Kakashi leaned back against the memorial stone and sighed.

"What do we do now?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head and sighed once more. "I will inform Tsunade-sama that our teammate is nowhere to be found. Seeing as she is an adult in her own right, and her clearance isn't high enough to warrant suspicion, there isn't much we can do. Your status changes as you become chunnin, but for now, she is the least of Tsunade's concerns. I'm sorry to say that. In the meantime, stick together just in case this isn't just Sakura-chan leaving. Even if I couldn't find anything, we can't rule out that she has been kidnapped, but even then, don't go anywhere without each other."

He didn't know what to do, but he knew he at least had to put his students at ease before he could focus on the problem in private. Even Sasuke seemed worried that he hadn't found her, if the added tension in his shoulders was anything to focus on. All he could do was make them feel better momentarily, even if Kakashi couldn't believe his own words himself.

Sakura was supposed to be the constant in their team. The only female in the group usually was. Smart enough to know her strengths and when to give up, he'd hoped that she'd be a rock for his two chaotic students. It seems that he should've paid more attention to the girl and he was coming to regret his actions for what they were, foolish. Rin was the same on Team Minato, even if she had more talent than Sakura had seemed to possess. His sensei focused on him more than the others, and if the occasion called for it, he would've laughed at how history seemed to repeat itself. He only hoped she wouldn't go the way his own teammate had. 

Kakashi bit the inside of his cheek but smiled through the pain anyway.

"It's going to be okay, Naruto, Sasuke. I'll make sure Sakura comes back safe and sound."

For the first time since he and Sasuke got back to the village, Naruto cracked a smile. Unconditional support was the least Kakashi could do for his remaining students, even if all he wanted to do was turn away and hide.

Whatever happened to Sakura, there wasn't much he could do from the village in the state that it was. He also couldn't abandon his two students to go searching for one wayward one. Looking at the two boys in front of him, he vowed to do better, all the while making sure his other student came back safely.

He doesn't know why she left, even if he had an inkling that his neglect had a part to play in it, but the regret still weighed heavy in his mind.

X-X-X-X

Deep in the bowels of the jail cells in Kirigakure, Sakura, stripped of her weapons and belongings, sneezed loud enough to echo in the chamber. 

_"I hope someone is just talking about us, and that it doesn't mean we're about to get the cold of a lifetime down in these slums. They could've at least given us a blanket, hmm."_

"Blanket or not, it's been almost three days. If they're going to kill us, I wish they'd get it over with."

_"That's the spirit."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, we get Team 7's POV! I wrote from Kakashi's POV because he seemed the most logical at the time. While the story is from Sakura's POV, I'd be remiss if I couldn't peek in on Team 7 every now and then! A reunion is a long ways away, but I hope you enjoyed this tidbit for now!
> 
> The general consensus for chapter length is half and half, so I will just be writing the flow as it comes. I'll try not to go more than 2 weeks in between chapters, so I hope you enjoy and stick around! I even included a fun omake of Sakura at the end. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	6. Minnow Amongst Sharks Part 2

**Chapter 6: Minnow Amongst Sharks Part 2**

"Do you know what the worst part about being a Kage is?" Mei asked Sakura.

Sakura cocked her head and relaxed a bit within her bindings when she realized that the new Mizukage was just toying with her. She didn't breathe a sigh of relief, but it was better than the immediate beheading she was expecting.

The Mizukage's office wasn't unlike the Hokage's office in Konoha. Large, floor to ceiling windows overlooking the village. While the view wasn't as clear as it would've been amongst the trees, the fog tinted buildings were beautiful in their own right.

Sakura hadn't been able to see much of the village since she was blindfolded and stuck in a cell shortly after the boat docked on land. She couldn't even make her way out of the village if she tried, but for some reason, she wasn't afraid.

"Is it the politics?"

Mei laughed and leaned back in her seat, fingers tapping a beat on her chin. "No. It's the childish brats claiming to be from a dead bloodline bothering my nins on the outskirts of our village only weeks after the reign of the Bloody Mist has ended."

"Does this happen a lot to you?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Once is enough," Mei said as she reached into her desk and pulled out a thin, almost decayed looking file. There was a blue and black tab at the top, but she had no clue what their filing system was and what it could mean for her.

The only other two in the room were coincidentally the only people she knew in the village. Ao and Chojuro seemed to be highly commended in the village and she'd seen more of them than she was expecting.

Ao himself oversaw her containment in the bowels of the village, which contributed to the lack of hospitality since he seemed to think the Mizukage should be over and done with her. She had to hand it to him, he was tenacious where tenacity was appreciated. She also couldn't fault him for being so callous towards her, she was essentially a foreign invader despite only being a genin. Even if she came from the "nice" village, she knew that there were procedures in place for a reason. 

Chojuro on the other hand was exactly as she expected, and she preferred his company a lot more than his older counterpart. While they hadn't gotten to know each other personally, something about someone her age being close by was enough of a reassurance for some reason.

Sakura expected ANBU to be around at some junction or another, but she couldn't sense anything other than the three chakra signatures in the room. It could also be a test as to how elite they were. She didn't know which she preferred.

"My apologies for not sending a formal request. I didn't know the process of immigration on this side of the nation," Sakura said, hoping her words were diplomatic enough for the older woman. Inner had been strangely silent and content enough to let her do the negotiations. It was almost relaxing not having a voice constantly yelling over your thoughts.

She wished she was armed in some way. Despite being a genin, she felt almost naked without the constant pressure of weapons by her side. While she hadn't had Kubikiribocho for long, she missed the reassurance she felt just wielding it. It wasn't invincibility by any means, but it was stronger than she'd felt before back in Konoha.

"No matter. Let's go over what we already know. Hoshigaki Sakura, born March twenty-eighth. You said you're going to turn thirteen soon, correct? Parents are Haruno Kizashi, a previous resident of Iron, and Hoshigaki Mebuki, previous shinobi of Mist, both deceased."

Sakura swallowed her nervousness and nodded, confirming what she'd already told the Mizukage.

Mei opened the thin file on her desk and flipped it open to show Sakura. Inside of it was a copy of her birth certificate, dated and signed by the previous Hokage. Sakura hadn't even seen a baby picture of her so young, so she couldn't help but lean forward to look at it. She didn't know how there was a file of her in a country she'd never been to before. Her mother was smarter than she gave her credit for if this was what she thought it was.

Ao growled thinking she was up to something but was quickly silenced by Mei.

"Luckily for you, there was an agreement between your parents and the previous Mizukage. As such you are rightfully a citizen of Mist. I am not like my predecessor, and while you may have grown up in Fire Country, you have returned to your rightful home. I'm sad to say I don't have any family to introduce you to, but as a legal adult, you can let us know how you wish to spend your time in Mist."

Sakura wasn't prepared for the warm look in the Mizukage's eyes.

She'd expected torture, maybe having to use Kubikiribocho as a bargaining tool for her life in exchange, or even having to fight her way out of the Kage tower to escape to Iron. She didn't expect to be welcomed with semi-open arms, nor to see that her Mother had thought ahead and had her registered as a citizen of Mist.

A negligent thought brewed at the back of her mind, and Sakura wondered if Konoha knew the same things that Mist did. She hoped that Kakashi-sensei wrote her off and wouldn't come after her, not after she'd come so far and gotten this close to being a better shinobi. Her file detailed both her immigrant parent's statuses, and she hoped he'd assumed she'd gone to Iron, seeing at it was logically the safer choice.

"Nothing we've done screams logic, so I assume we've thrown him off our tail," Inner whispered.

"My Uncle. My mom said that he was in Mist before she left, is he not here now? What happened to him?" she asked.

Mei sighed and this time averted her eyes away from Sakura, instead looking outside at the view of the heart of Mist. "I'm sorry to say that Hoshigaki Kisame has been a missing-nin for a little bit over a decade."

"Oh." Sakura didn't know how to react to the potential loss of a family member she barely knew. A missing-nin didn't mean he was dead, especially because the Mizukage talked about him in a present tense, but it would be doubtful that their paths would ever cross.

"But, that's not to say I don't have high hopes for you, little Hoshigaki. Your uncle wasn't on my genin team but was in the graduating class above me, and we took the Chuunin exams together. I have plenty of stories if you're ever feeling up to them."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Sakura couldn't help but ask. Even Inner was curious. The new Mizukage was not what she expected, even so, the hospitality was a pleasant surprise.

_"I'm not sure you could call being locked in a jail cell for a few days hospitable."_

"We're not dead when we expected to be bisected upon arrival. Seeing as they used to tell us stories about Mist and Kumo nin stealing young kids out of their beds at night, this seems like a royal treatment," Sakura muttered to herself.

"You're a citizen of Mist and my previous Kage has done enough damage to our people. I grabbed this seat with my own two hands and I plan to do it justice. With an entire division dedicated to hunting down missing-nin, I need our forces to be as fortified and prepared as possible. Despite being a genin, you managed to take down a team of bandits on your own. I have many things in store for you, Sakura-chan."

"How did you find out about that?" Sakura asked sheepishly. She moved to scratch the back of her head but realized she was still restrained in her chain. "Moreover, may I be released if you're not going to kill me?"

Mei gestured over to Ao who unlocked her chakra suppressors and manacles. While her reserves were small, it felt nice to be flooded with the warmth of her chakra once more. She was also pleasantly surprised to see that her reserves had grown in her recovery.

Chojuro also relaxed behind her, also pleased that she wasn't going to be murdered in front of him. She hoped they could work together during her time at Mist, he seemed like a good enough ally and friend to have.

"While my men were retrieving you, I received a letter from the people of Wave retracting their plea for help. I hadn't been able to send nin out there as quickly as they hoped, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that you single-handedly took care of their problem, at no expense to the citizens of the town."

"My genin team, when I was still with Konoha, had a mission to escort the bridge builder back to the land of Wave. I became familiar with a family there and stopped by on my way to Mist. They asked me to help, and I couldn't say no."

"Well, you have my appreciation regardless. It saved me the trouble of sending the nin out there, especially so close to Konoha's borders." The Mizukage didn't bow, but the tilt of her head was enough for Sakura.

"What's next for me?" she asked as she rubbed her wrists and relaxed in her chair, now that she was no longer in danger.

The older woman pulled the folder closer to her and took out a blank sheet of paper, filling in the empty boxes on the form as she went. "We'll have you take a few tests so we can see where you stand against our shinobi scoring system. Chojuro here is a Chuunin, Ao is a Jounin. If you manage to defeat Cho-chan, then we'll have you battle Ao. If you somehow beat him, I'll scrounge out an Anbu for you to fight as well."

Sakura gulped and finally looked Chojuro in the eye as she looked behind her, the blue-haired teen looking just as reluctant as her at the idea of fighting her. Ao looked almost bloodthirsty, but it was hard to tell with the eye patch on.

"If that's what it takes," she replied. No matter what, Sakura had to pass her tests in order to move on up in the shinobi world. She hoped that the Mizukage would keep her village bound for a while as she heightened her skills. She didn't want to run into any Konoha nin so soon after her leaving the village. While her apparent dual citizenship seemed to have helped her out, with Naruto's tenacity, who knows what would happen.

X-X-X-X

According to the Mizukage, Chojuro and Ao would be her guides to Mist. Chojuro more so than Ao, since the latter was typically assigned to guard and assist Mei as often as possible. Over the course of the week, she got closer to Chojuro more than she ever did her own teammates, and she was coming to appreciate moving to Mist more and more with every passing day.

They allowed her to get used to the village before giving her a logistics and strategy test, not unlike the one she took during the Chuunin exams.

The proctor told her they stressed mind and body to be on the same playing field for promotion, so this would be graded on a proper scale, rather than whether they could withstand torture or not.

It would explain why their village seemed so accomplished despite being secluded and smaller than most of the others in the nation.

Were it not for the era of the Bloody Mist, Sakura would assume they would've been a bigger problem for Konoha, especially during the last war. The civil injustice caused them to implode on themselves, and it took twice the amount of manpower to get the village up and running again.

The citizens were still wary of ninja, which she both expected but wasn't used to. Konoha ninja were almost revered in the village, and it wasn't unlike them to get discounts when shopping amongst the smaller Mom-and-Pop shops near the civilian sectors. Here in Mist, they were regarded with scrutiny and it was an unspoken rule that they got in and out as quick as possible. Some of the shops that were shinobi specific were sequestered away on the edges of the city so that the civilians could avoid them easily in their day to day lives. It took some adjusting, but it was easy to manage at the end of the day.

The test itself was as easy as the one during the Chuunin exams, and she highly suspected that it wasn't the one that they used for genin either. She hoped that they didn't set high hopes for her. She hadn't even been a genin for a full year, but she also didn't want to disappoint them. She fancied herself a paper ninja before she decided to leave the village, and even if she wasn't able to defeat Chojuro in the coming week, she knew she would at least hold her own against the genin in the village. At least, she hoped she was able to do so.

Sakura hadn't been able to train while she'd been released from her brief imprisonment, so the first thing she did when she found out she passed the written exam, with flying colors mind you, was beg Chojuro for a spar. Half of it was to get a feel for his style as a shinobi, and the other half was to relieve the itchiness under her skin. She'd been feeling so cooped up since arriving to Mist, and no matter how many runs they went for around the village it didn't seem like it was enough.

She never used to be like this, begging others for spars and craving violence, but it was a welcome relief from feeling star-struck and meek whenever she was around Team 7. It was also a breath of fresh air when Chojuro agreed and didn't look down on her for asking. The teen had been more than welcoming to her arrival, especially now that she was on her way to being a shinobi of Kiri.

Sakura had also noticed that there weren't many people her age walking around the village. Most of the time it was Chojuro and Sakura alone, sometimes Ao if he was assigned to watch them by Mei. She assumed that was when the Mizukage would relax or goof off since oftentimes Ao would grumble at babysitting duty whenever he was around them.

Anyone around their age was either too busy to get to know them or wasn't an actual ninja, and now Sakura could see why Chojuro was so friendly to her in the first place. She'd jump at the chance to get to know someone her age too if it meant that she'd finally have a friend in this lonely country.

Despite this, Kiri was growing on her in a way she never expected. The people, while cold, were still friendly in their own right, given the right circumstances. It wasn't the outright hospitality that she'd come to expect in Konoha, but it was instead quiet and appreciative. Sometimes it was the vendors sneaking her a snack or two as they bagged her groceries, or it was the way they discounted her large purchases at the shinobi stores. It felt more sincere and comforting and often reminded her of her mother. Even if the civilians regarded them wearily, there were enough shinobi or shinobi families to make up for it, and those were the people she loved to be around the most.

"Chojuro-kun, which training ground are we going to?" she asked as the blue-haired teen led them through the market.

She was finally in full shinobi regalia, lovingly picked from the discount section of the store near their apartment. All orphans ended up in the same complex and she and Chojuro were even neighbors. If they spent the night over each other's places more often than not, it wasn't worth mentioning to Ao or Mei-sama.

The outfit wasn't unlike the one she got from the people of Wave. The fabric was thicker, a complete opposite of the silk outfit she wore in Konoha. It's dark, muted colors fit in with the surroundings and it hugged her legs and torso perfectly. The remainder of her skin was covered with bandages, similar to the way Zabuza wore his outfit. She couldn't help but mimic the man she stole Kubikiribocho from, even if she hadn't revealed that it was in her possession to the others yet.

She'd come close to revealing it to Chojuro, especially when he talked about the Seven Swordsmen of Mist in the same way she used to talk about Sasuke with the other girls in school. It wasn't the right moment, however, even if neither she nor Inner knew how to bring it up. She'd slowly been gathering information about the Swordsmen since they were still a mystery to her. Only one sword, now two technically, remained in Mist's possession after the Bloody Mist era with the rest either lost or in the hands of Missing-nin.

Chojuro even talked about begging Mei for a chance to inherit the last remaining sword to be apart of her vanguard, and she supported him full-heartedly. Eventually, she'd reveal Kubikiribocho to him, even if she didn't know how to do so.

"There's a training ground near the beach that I'd think you'd like. It's still too cold to swim, at least for someone from Konoha, but it's still a beautiful view."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"The waters are as cold as it could be without freezing over, we haven't even hit the frost season yet. If you'd go into the water right now you'd probably get sick or at least hypothermia."

"Are you saying a little Konoha raised genin like me wouldn't be able to withstand some cold water? It snows in Konoha too, Kiri isn't special," Sakura scoffed.

She could see Chojuro blushing and getting more nervous the more she poked fun at him. Even if he was baiting her on, she refused to back down from a challenge. It was also too much fun to poke at the easily flustered teen. The switch between his personalities was one of her favorite parts about being friends with him. How someone could be so accomplished but so shy was lost to her. Maybe it was because she was used to the boisterous confidence of Naruto or the calm, collectivity of Sasuke and Kakashi. More and more her experiences in Mist were refreshing and welcoming, instead of the overwhelming and disheartening like she expected. 

"I'm not trying to get you into the water, I promise. If you go in it, you'll be sick, Mei-sama will be upset at us for you getting sick. Even I wouldn't be caught dead in the ocean right now."

"Too late, we're doing this," Sakura interrupted, grabbing his hand with her own and pulling him in the direction of the training ground.

All pretenses of training were lost and the only thing on her mind was to prove him wrong. Chojuro couldn't dig his heels in fast enough and spent the rest of the way tripping over himself. Despite the height difference, Sakura's strides were long and true.

The training ground itself wasn't much, one of the ones reserved for water practice or jutsu that could be aimed at the ocean, rather than the nearby homes. The more professional and higher ranked training grounds were on the opposite end of the village near the shinobi sector, so the ground was secluded and quiet.

Sakura dropped her bag when they arrived and shucked off her socks and boots alongside it, resisting the urge to shiver as her toes kissed the frosted over sand. Her clothes had been keeping her warm for the most part since her head was the only thing not covered with wrappings or fabric. She'd forgotten how cold it was outside of her clothes, but it wouldn't deter her from following through with her challenge.

"Sakura, please don't. You're going to be a menace because of how cold you'll be," Chojuro pleaded, wringing his hands together as Sakura inched closer to the shoreline.

She turned around to stick her tongue at him, before focusing in on the water, kicking her last layer behind her. She kept the base layer on, even if it would chill her more to keep them on than not, but she assumed that being in her underwear and chest binding wraps would be too much for the teen.

Taking a deep breath, she hopped a few steps back before taking a running start to dive into the waters. The beach wasn't like the one off the coast of Fire country and the water dropped a few meters inwards.

The first shocks of water chased away any doubt she'd been feeling and she was left with a sense of cool excitement. Breaking the surface of the water, she let out a bark of a laugh, wading around in the water while Chojuro wrung his hands on the beach.

Sakura couldn't resist torturing him a bit longer, swimming a bit farther back and calling out to him. "It's practically like bathing in a hot spring! Come in Chojuro, you can't let me show you up like this."

"I'm going to stay here," he replied, shuffling further away from the lapping waves that threatened to kiss his sandals. Sakura didn't know how he had exposed toes this close to Winter, but it wasn't a fashion choice she'd be making any time soon.

"Someone's a chicken," she sung.

Rotating her body, she let the calm waves push her back towards the shore, nearly crawling out of the surf like a child. Her body was cold, that was obvious, but it was soothing enough that she didn't worry as Chojuro met her halfway and fretted over her chilled body. Her pale skin was almost tinted blue from the frigid temperature.

"You're going to get hypothermia, look at you. Mei is going to kill me. Ao is going to kill us," he fretted.

Lifting a chilled finger, she bopped him on the nose, smiling in a way she hadn't ever in Konoha. "A little bit of water isn't going to be the end of me. I'm a Hoshigaki, it's fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a fun chapter now that Sakura is all settled in Mist! I'm really loving exploring her relationships with these characters while I get this arc planned. The next chapter will get into the nitty-gritty of her training and her position in Mist. I am still up in the air on how long I'll keep them genin, but the Shippuden time skip is definitely in the near future. Sakura and Chojuro are going to be a duo worth their flee on sight notice for sure. 
> 
> Thank you so much for your patience and I look forward to writing more in the New Year! I kind of want to get into one-shots more, so if you have any requests, please let me know! 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!
> 
> Twitter: SabrinaWolfe_  
> Tumblr: Harliqueen


	7. Ad Meliora [Towards Better Things]

Chapter 7: Ad Meliora [Towards Better Things]

"The rules are simple, the first to surrender or be knocked unconscious is the loser. If Hoshigaki-kun manages to defeat Cho-chan, then she will advance to the next round. If it is reversed, then we will convene to discuss her rankings amongst our systems. Try not to kill each other, okay?"

Why the Mizukage was overseeing her and Chojuro's fight, she'll never know. By the look on Ao's face, it was probably an excuse to skive off from her duties for a while longer. Sakura should've felt more honored that such a high figure in her village was watching her fight, but instead, she was shaking in her boots.

Chojuro had years of proper education and tutoring under his belt, combined with shinobi arts she'd only scratched the surface of. While she'd improved in leaps and bounds in the week compared to six months under Kakashi, it wouldn't be enough to defeat him. It wouldn't mean that she wouldn't give him one hell of a fight.

Sakura knew her strengths; her intelligence and planning overshadowed Chojuro's. If she could catch him off guard right off the bat, she would have a higher chance of beating him than if she waited for him to come to her. She was no Nara, but this was her best bet.

She didn't have to win, she just had to prove herself capable of being a Mist shinobi and hopefully standing by Chojuro's side.

Thankfully her audience was small; Ao came because Mei was interested in the fight. There was the same proctor from her written exam, along with a small smattering of shinobi that she'd met when Chojuro dragged her around the village under the pretense of doing errands. The most irritating face, one that she'd hoped to avoid, was Hideo. It'd been almost a month since their brief meeting, but the same level of acid distaste still coated the back of her tongue when she looked at him.

It would've been too much to hope that their paths wouldn't cross it seemed.

She scrunched her nose when she noticed the man looking at her, but she turned her focus back to Chojuro, who seemed to flip a switch in personality now that the battle was about to begin.

When Mei's hand dropped back down to her side, signaling the fight had begun, Sakura didn't let Chojuro have the chance to take a second breath.

Throwing a flash bomb towards him, he batted the kunai out of the way, not realizing the difference in tags. Closing her eyes, Sakura ducked towards the left and detonated the tag, letting the piercing light disarm him temporarily.

Throwing several more kunai in quick succession, she didn't hesitate in overwhelming Chojuro with as much as she could throw at him. He was a Chuunin for a reason, and she wouldn't let their friendship get in the way of her succeeding.

" _Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu_ ," she whispered, hands flashing through familiar signs with practiced ease. It was one of the few jutsu she had a handle over, and she hoped it would be enough to trick him into her trap.

Chojuro batted her kunai away with a flick of his katana, the metal spreading out behind him with a soft clink. Sakura focused on the one that ended by his feet and swallowed her anxiety with a grimace.

Inner in her mind is like a rapid dog, calling for blood now that her heart is pumping so loud she can hear it echo in her ears.

Chojuro lashes towards her but is distracted as the genjutsu takes hold. His pupils blow wide as his fear is projected in front of him, but she doesn't stop to gloat as she switches places with the kunai next to his feet and deals him a swift uppercut to the jaw.

The punch snaps him out of the genjutsu but sends him sailing backward across the training ground. She follows and pounces on his prone body, fishing for a kunai out of her pouch.

"Nice shot, Hoshigaki-chan!" Hideo calls out, interrupting the steady silence that had been building.

Sakura clenched her teeth and is momentarily distracted which Chojuro used to launch her off of him. Grabbing his katana again, they begin a dance with her on the defense. Each swipe of his blade shaved off hairs or fibers of her clothes, each one a closer call than the last.

He was barely breathing heavily, while the sweat started to pool around her temples and her brow. While it was still sickly cold outside, the heat of her skin was trapped underneath her clothes, suffocating her with anxiety and adrenaline.

When the slice of the tip of his katana stabbed through the shoulder of her jacket, she didn't hesitate to rip it off, using the fibers to trap the blade and yank it out of his grasp. Throwing the sword to the side, she launched herself at him, using as many grappling techniques as she could remember.

Chojuro was taken off guard with her brutal display, something taken right out of Naruto's book. Wrestling him to the ground, he matched her in brutality and immediately countered her chokehold, falling to the floor alongside her.

She tucked her legs underneath his body and kicked him off of her, his thin frame launching over her head and she quickly turned over and launched herself at him again.

Her physical strength and stamina wasn't much, but this was the best she could come up with. She was able to distance the sword from the master, which was as big as a feat as any. Becoming a Chuunin was far from her reach, but she would still try and prove herself as best she could.

Despite being a close-ranged fighter, Chojuro was a bit lost without his sword. His muscles were developed for a different type of strength, so she hoped it was enough.

Keeping him on his back, she straddled his prone form and kept one of his arms tucked to his chest while the other blindly grabbed at her. Raising her fist, she punched at him in quick succession, the first being blocked by his hand and the second managing to hit him in the nose. There was a quick snap as the bone was broken and she winced in sympathy.

Chojuro smiled like a shark, mouth full of sharpened teeth as his gaze turned deadly. Off-hand, Sakura wondered what she had to do in order to get her teeth like that. It seemed more common in Mist than anywhere else, and she wanted to match her brethren all the same. She also realized Chojuro might have been playing with his food as he ripped his hand from her grasp and popped his nose back into place. Sakura sat on his body frozen in fear with even Inner gulping in the deep recesses of her mind.

"Sorry, Chojuro-kun," she murmured, hoping to placate the beast.

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be," he grinned.

Yelping, she crawled off of his body, trying to move away as fast as possible. Chojuro grabbed her ankle and pulled her back towards him, caging her body with his own.

His right arm snaked around her neck, putting pressure on her trachea and slowly suffocating her between his body and the cold, hard ground.

Despite running out of oxygen and options, she pouted at how easily she was defeated. A last chance effort, she tried to buck him off of her but was proven unsuccessful. Finally, she double-tapped his shoulder, relenting to the spar and accepting defeat.

Immediately his hold was released and she gasped as air filled her depleted lungs. Coughing, she caressed her bruised throat, the skin of it sensitive to the touch. Her gaze was more of a pouty kitten than a ferocious tiger, but she glared at him as best she could.

He grinned sheepishly back at her but extended his hand to help her off the floor. Grabbing it, she allowed her dead weight to pull him back onto the ground, getting the already dusty clothes to get even dirtier.

Their audience was less than amused, but Sakura couldn't help but smile at Mei who was holding back her own fits of giggles.

"Alright, alright. It was my mistake to pair you two together, but I've seen enough. Get cleaned up and meet me back at my office for your debriefing."

Sakura and Chojuro nodded their heads and silently agreed to make a quick stop at a tea shop now that the chill had seeped through their torn clothes as the adrenaline wore off.

X-X-X-X-X

Back in the Mizukage's office, Sakura welcomed the warmth given by the roaring fireplace next to Mei's desk. The windows allowed most of the chill to seep into the room, but it was a much better environment than being outside with the elements.

Burrowing more into the plush chair, Sakura pulled her knees to her chest as she waited for Mei to begin. The woman had re-pulled her file, this time significantly thicker than what it once had been.

Despite the privacy of the meeting, Chojuro stayed put beside her, a welcoming beacon since her arrival to Mist. His presence was more grounding than anyone in Konoha's had been, and time and time again Sakura wondered why it took her so long to venture this far East towards her mother's homeland. Briefly, she wondered what her life would've been like had she stayed in Konoha, or even worse, ventured to Iron to be with her father's family.

Shivering, she was grateful for the pull towards Water country. Despite the harshness of the civilians or the cool indifference of the shinobi, she felt better than she had in years.

"Why don't you tell me a bit about your time in Konoha. By our estimates, you've been out of the academy for six months, correct?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes. A little over six months I think now, almost seven. Our academy required three jutsu to be mastered, like the _Bunshin_. I didn't learn tree walking until a few months after we graduated. I only recently taught myself water walking. Under Kakashi-sensei, I didn't learn much. However, he said I had an aptitude for genjutsu and my chakra control was in the ninety-fifth percentile. Almost the ninety-seventh."

Mei hummed along, making notes in the file the more Sakura spoke.

Unfortunately, unlike her previous teammates, she didn't have much to speak about or bolster, so she kept to her strengths as best she could. "I also have a photographic memory, which helped during infiltration and cipher lessons. I thought about joining T&I or the Intelligence corps once I ranked high enough, but I wasn't able to do a shadow or question much about it."

"And your Jounin, Hatake Kakashi, the man with a thousand jutsu under his disposal. He really taught you nothing? You don't have much besides your academy three, a few C-rank genjutsu isn't enough to get by. What did he teach you?"

This was her shortest answer, "Tree walking."

"Tree walking?" Chojuro echoed, speaking for the first time.

"Our training days focused on the boys. Before the Chuunin Exams, we would do D-ranks like weeding lawns or walking dogs. If he cared enough we'd go to a field where he'd watch them take their energy out on each other, neither wanted to spar with me, so I mostly read next to him or went to the library. He only taught us tree walking when he was bedridden during our mission to the Land of Waves. Other than that, he honestly wasn't that good of a teacher."

"For being the top Shinobi village in the nation, Leaf has a poor education system," Mei replied.

Sakura agreed and shrugged, "There was a reason I fled here rather than stay in a village that didn't care or want me. I was set up for failure. Naruto is a powerhouse in his own right and Kakashi-sensei had his hands full with Sasuke, so I was left in the dust more often than not."

Chojuro scowled next to her, matching her in attitude as she thought back on her team.

"Again, he flagged me as a genjutsu type, but never really followed up on it. It wasn't fair. Team Eight's leader was a genjutsu type, a great one from what I've seen since she made it to Jounin. If they had considered our strengths, maybe I would've been switched with Hinata."

Mei shook her head and adjusted herself in her seat. "From what it seems, you were built as a berserker or frontlines team. Genjutsu is more for infiltration or information gathering. While Hatake wasn't that great of a teacher, he's a legend on the battlefield and a mastermind off of it. A great shinobi doesn't always equate to a great teacher. If we were allied with Konoha, I'd request your file and see what your sensei's at the academy had to say, but for now, I'll tell you what I've picked up between your tests."

Sakura swallowed and waited, still unused to being addressed so casually by such high of a figure in the village. Apart from Naruto, the Hokage didn't associate himself with the genin of the village. She had no clue how the new Hokage would handle things or how personal they'd be when inaugurated.

"You're highly intelligent, more so than most of Chuunin and even some Jounin despite your young age. You aced your written test, which had enough theory to make some of my ANBU cry. Your proctor noted how easily you answered the questions too. Physically, you lack more strength than I would expect from your clan and at your age. You're on the shorter side too. With your assigned sensei you'll be put on a strict diet and regime to bulk up. Your Uncle is well over seven feet, as was most of your family. Mebuki was the runt and you've inherited this. None of which is a bad thing," she added once she noticed Sakura's forlorn look.

"Does that mean I passed?" Sakura couldn't help but ask.

Mei gave her a placating look but relented after a few moments, unable to resist shaking her head. "Some good news and bad news. You're not Chuunin level yet, especially by Mist standards. We don't coddle our shinobi with fancy promotions and titles, you earn everything with blood, sweat, and tears just like the rest of us. I would never put my shinobi in harm's way if I didn't know they could handle it. But, you have proven yourself worthy of being a shinobi of Mist, so you'll keep your genin status since I am not heartless enough to send you back to the academy."

Chojuro clapped Sakura on the back as she breathed a sigh of relief. "I told you, you had nothing to worry about," he said.

"I'm allowed to worry all I want when it comes to my career," she countered.

"While we pride ourselves on teamwork, our Genin are given a more personal introduction into the shinobi arts. Chojuro here was assigned to Ao when he graduated a year or so ago. Since we have an even amount of shinobi and enough to support this teaching style, Jounin are assigned one, sometimes two genin to instruct. For the first six months, you brush up on basics and physical training, since our academy heavily focuses on theory and mental stamina. While our graduation requirement doesn't include slaughtering each other anymore, we still host an outright melee to pair potential genin with their sensei's and a good chance to blow off steam before becoming an adult with consequences."

"That's genius. Why doesn't everyone do it this way?" Sakura asked.

Mei shrugged and gestured vaguely towards the horizon. "Not many high ranked ninja want to babysit a child until they're good enough to run off on their own, as is the case with Sand and Iron. Kumo has something similar, but that's because they're so closed off from the rest of us. Konoha began the typical style and it just caught on with the rest of the world. We decided our approach was a bit easier to manage, and it made sure that everyone that passed through our ranks were worthy of their titles."

"Where does that leave me? Is Ao going to be my sensei like Chojuro?"

Mei laughed when Ao grumbled negatively from her side and Sakura couldn't help but blush at his immediate reluctance.

Chojuro tried to jump to her defense, but Sakura then had to soothe the nervous teen when Ao glared his way.

"Ao is going to be my assistant as I finish my ascension as Mizukage before returning to being Chojuro's partner for missions. While it's been nice to have them both in the village, their expertise is needed elsewhere. Your sensei has already bid himself amongst the possible candidates, and I'm sure you'll get along just great."

She cocked her head to the side in question and turned when the door opened almost as if on cue. A tall, slender but still muscular man slithered through the opening, his hands in his pockets and a cocky smile stretching the scarred skin on his face. 

Sakura scowled, "You." Her nails dug into the meat of her thighs as her teeth gnashed together in her mouth. 

"Me," Hideo grinned, not at all taken aback by her hostile nature. "Just as feisty as I remember, kitten. Imagine my surprise when you turn up at my home, boasting the Hoshigaki name, too. If I'd known that, I would've given you a personal escort to Mei myself. A Hoshigaki is a sight to behold, despite how tiny you are compared to the others."

"Enough," Mei interrupted when Sakura had gotten out of her chair with a kunai in hand. 

She couldn't stand her weaknesses being pointed out so easily, especially her small stature multiple times in such a short timespan. Hideo had crossed the line when they met and seemed all too happy to dance over her emotions and insecurities. 

"Don't tell me this pervert is going to be my sensei?" she asked, hoping that it was maybe a coincidence he was in the office. 

"Pervert," Chojuro echoed, pulling Sakura closer to his side. She assumed the teen had never met the man since there was no greeting when he entered the room. Even Ao looked put off by the Jounin and Sakura wondered if there was any bad blood between the two. Despite his callous nature, it wouldn't surprise her if this man didn't get along with everyone in the village.

"Hideo is a highly capable sensei, he's trained plenty of Genin that have risen through the ranks faster than any of my other Jounin. I promise that you'll do well underneath him."

"And it's Karatachi-sensei to you Pinky. We're going to have a fun six months ahead of us if you want to see the outside of this village for missions. I promised Mei and I have a bet amongst the other Jounin that you're going to demolish the rest of your age group under my wing, and I promise to deliver."

Sakura bit back her insults when she saw what was in his outstretched hand, almost like a peace offering. A brand-new Mist headband was folded neatly in his palm, the glinting metal standing strong against the dark purple fabric.

"It's me or the civilian trenches, Pinky. Pick your poison," Hideo, now Karatachi-sensei said.

She scowled once more and swiped the headband from his grasp, securing it firmly and properly on her forehead. "It's Sakura to you, Karatachi-sensei," she bit out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> I did not anticipate taking that long of a break away from writing, but thank you all to those who have left reviews and have been reading my stories! I have so much planned for this year and I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! 
> 
> Sakura has finally found her place in Mist and the training montages begin! We see more of Hideo and how Sakura will become the powerhouse she's meant to be in the future. If you have any questions or request for fics, please let me know!
> 
> Thank you!


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